- A new
Marvel show called "Secret Invasion ," centered on the shape-shifting Skrulls, is in the works. - The Disney+ show stars
Samuel L. Jackson , Ben Mendelsohn,Emilia Clarke , Olivia Colman, and more.
The upcoming Disney+ series titled "Secret Invasion" is bringing the shape-shifting alien race known as Skrulls to the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Little is known about "Secret Invasion," but the show will be inspired by the comics and centered on the creatures who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
Skrulls first appeared in the MCU in 2019's "Captain Marvel." Since then, Skrulls also appeared in end-credits scenes for "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and "WandaVision." Most recently, a Skrull wearing a tracksuit appeared on season one of the Disney+ series "Loki," but director Kate Herron told Insider that the inclusion of the alien wasn't deliberately setting up "Secret Invasion."
Here's what fans can expect from the new show, so far.
The cast includes returning Marvel stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Cobie Smulders, plus some new additions
"Captain Marvel" costars Jackson (Avengers founder Nick Fury) and Mendelsohn (a Skrull named Talos) will lead the cast of "Secret Invasion."
Smulders will reprise her role as Agent Maria Hill while Martin Freeman (Everett Ross) and Don Cheadle (James Rhodes/War Machine) will also be part of the show.
The cast also includes "The Crown" star Olivia Colman, "Game of Thrones" actress Emilia Clarke, Christopher McDonald, Killian Scott, and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
According to Deadline, Ben-Adir will play the show's main villain while McDonald will portray a newly created character that has the potential to appear elsewhere in the MCU.
A Vanity Fair feature released in March 2023 shed more light on how the latest stars to join the MCU fit into "Secret Invasion."
Ben-Adir's character is a Skrull extremist who "breaks from the Talos-led faction to seize the resources they need —first quietly, by disguising themselves, then by force, if needed."
Clarke's G'iah is actually the grown-up version of Talos' daughter, who fans first saw in "Captain Marvel." The actor told Vanity Fair that her character has built-up resentment toward humans.
"There's a lot of emotions that live within her, and there's a lot of confrontational aspects to her character that have come from circumstance," Clarke said. "You understand why she has the feelings that she does."
Jackson also teased that Colman's character, an MI6 agent determined to protect England's national security interests, is "cold-blooded."
Clarke spoke about her involvement in the show back in June 2021, telling ComicBook.com that she wanted to join the MCU because "what they're doing right now is so exciting and so cool, and so on the cutting edge of it."
"To be part of that family feels like, 'Oh my God, I'm in the cool kid crowd. That's so cool,'" she added. "Honestly speaking, the people that are making this are what pushed me over the line to really wanting to do it. I just think that everyone's heart and heads are in the right place with this one."
Filmmakers Thomas Bezucha and Ali Selim will direct the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
'Secret Invasion' will be released in 2023
In mid-October 2021, Jackson posted a photo on Instagram indicating that he had officially joined production on "Secret Invasion."
Don't expect the stars to spill any spoilers, though.
Ben-Adir told CNBC that Marvel has "been training us not to talk for like, six months." McDonald told The Movie Dweeb, "I signed an NDA, so [I know nothing] other than the fact it's called 'Secret Invasion.'"
As part of Disney+ Day in November 2021, Marvel released the first look at Jackson back as Fury.
The first trailer was unveiled at Disney's D23 Expo in September 2022, confirming that Ben-Adir will play a rebel Skrull leader named Gravik.
In a sizzle reel shown at D23, Cheadle spoke briefly about the premise of the series.
"We are dealing with a Skrull plot to take over the Earth to dominate the planet," he said.
You can watch the trailer for "Secret Invasion" below.