Every time a new Marvel Cinematic Universe project arrives on either the big screen or Disney Plus, we’re reliably told that it marks a detour into brand new territory for the long-running franchise. For the most part, though, almost all of them tend to tick a number of boxes we’ve become conditioned to expect from Kevin Feige’s outfit, but Secret Invasion might just be breaking the mold for real.
When the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Disney Plus series was revealed, fans were quick to praise the atmospheric visuals and air of mystery that defined the footage, with the consensus indicating people were thrilled that it wasn’t going to be a superhero show at all. A conspiratorial mystery with Samuel L. Jackson in the lead role is exciting enough as it is, but star Martin Freeman has doubled down on Secret Invasion‘s status in an interview with Digital Spy, by promising a departure from the norm.
“It feels pretty different to stuff I’ve seen. It does feel like a little departure. Yeah, it does – in ways that I wouldn’t be that able to describe. Again, I’ve not seen it. I’ve not even read all of it. The bits I’ve read do feel different, I guess: Because of the nature of television, you can luxuriate in things a little bit more.
That storytelling process is just elongated. So you have got more time to get those knotty problems out, which is the beauty of television at the moment. It was a bit murky, actually. A bit murky. Quite labyrinthine in terms of storytelling, and the amount of people crossing over with each other.”
At the end of the day, Secret Invasion is still going to tie into the overall Multiverse Saga, and The Marvels in particular. However, ignoring costumed crimefighters and superpowered shenanigans in favor of a meaty narrative steeped in political and governmental intrigue will ensure that it stands apart from the MCU competition, even if the the crux of the story revolves around shapeshifting aliens infiltrating every aspect of society.