If there’s anybody who knows what it’s like to be inside of a pop culture phenomenon, it’s Emilia Clarke. The Game of Thrones actress played Daeneyrs in the epic series based on George R.R Martin’s novel series, but now she’s finally making her MCU debut in the much-anticipated television series Secret Invasion. And, on the red carpet at the show’s Los Angeles premiere, she was nothing but effusive about her entry into this juggernaut, and what it was like to finally work on some Marvel content.
In the brief interview, she spoke about how her time on Secret Invasion was a truly unique experience in terms of scale, which says a lot considering that towards the end of its run Game of Thrones was costing about $15 million per episode. She described the process as “amazing,” adding “I’ve been a part of franchises, but there’s nothing like Marvel.”
Clarke was particularly quick to thank the fans of the comic franchise, saying that the reason Secret Invasion was such a vibrant and exciting project to work on stems from the enthusiasm of Marvel fanatics:
“It’s something different, the energy is huge. The fans are like…it’s why it’s made, everything that they make they’re making it for the fans, and getting to see their reaction this evening is just incredible.”
She also praised her co-stars, who include Oscar winner Olivia Coleman and the legendary Samuel L Jackson, who’s reprising his role as Nick Fury:
“Well the amazing thing about Marvel is that when you’re doing a Marvel TV show, you know that every other actor there is like a legend in their own right. And this show is ridiculous, like, every single actor in it is a phenomenal, phenomenal talent.”
Clarke seems to be right in predicting fans are excited about the show, with the buzz around it reaching the levels of a hornet’s nest. However, she was also keen to stress that even those who haven’t previously been huge fans of Marvel shows and films will find plenty to adore about the new series thanks to its realism:
“I would say it’s one of the most grounded shows that they’ve ever made, which is wonderful, because then people like my mum, who’s never seen any other Marvel will, like, get it.”
With that said, she made sure to reiterate that, like a lot of Marvel content, pleasing the diehard fans was at the heart of everything the cast and crew did while filming Secret Invasion:
“But there’s enough there for the fans to grab onto and enjoy, and, kind of hopefully be happy with the interpretation of what we’ve done…it’s just good on every level. You tick all the boxes, the story is excellent, the characters are wonderful, and Sam [Samuel L Jackson] and Ben [Mendelsohn] together, it’s just…you get to see them together. Every one of their scenes is just magic.”
So, plenty of praise from the Brit then, who certainly knows what she’s talking about when it comes to big productions and even bigger franchises.
Secret Invasion follows Nick Fury as he collects allies in an attempt to stop a Skrull invasion of Earth, and a large part of it will focus on Fury’s backstory. Clarke stars as G’iah, the daughter of Talos (Mendelsohn). Her character has a grudge against Fury thanks to his inability to deliver on promises he made to find the Skrulls a new place to settle. Her status as a refugee has hardened her, and it’s somewhat implied that she and her father clash over Fury, and the future of earth in general. G’iah has one previous appearance in the MCU (Captain Marvel) but was a child in that film, and was portrayed by the actors Auden L. Ophuls and Harriet L. Ophuls.
The show is based on a comic book series of the same name, but insiders believe it will follow a slightly different storyline. This could also be inferred from Clarke’s fear of giving away too many details during her red carpet interview, and the fact that Marvel insiders have been customarily tight-lipped about the plot — although we do know it will be heavy on the noir mystery, as well as blurring the lines between good and evil.
Secret Invasion will be released on Disney Plus on June 21.