The Marvels Will Continue Nick Fury's Story From Secret Invasion (Sorry)

This post contains spoilers for "Secret Invasion."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's "It's All Connected" approach has always been a double-edged sword. When every MCU film and series builds on those that came before them, you can't just sweep a misstep like "Thor: The Dark World" under the rug. In the past, however, the franchise has managed to turn its lemons into lemonade, much like it did when it made "The Dark World" a key aspect of Thor's arc in "Avengers: Endgame."

Now, the House of Ideas is facing what might be its greatest challenge yet thanks to "Secret Invasion." What could've been a triumphant series adaptation of the acclaimed 2008 comic book story by writer Brian Michael Bendis and illustrator Leinil Francis Yu has instead become the MCU's biggest faux pas. Adding insult to the injury that is the show's bad reviews, "Secret Invasion" had some of the lowest viewership for an MCU Disney+ TV show thus far. That could present a problem, seeing as it feeds directly into the next MCU film, "The Marvels."

For those who skipped Marvel's John le Carré-lite spy drama, "Secret Invasion" saw Samuel L. Jackson's beleaguered former S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury thwart a group of Skrulls hell-bent on claiming Earth as their own, only for the planet to plunge into civil unrest after the presence of the shape-shifting aliens was made public knowledge. Along the way, we discovered Fury is married to a Skrull named Varra (Charlayne Woodard), who left Earth with him at the end of the series to journey to S.A.B.E.R.'s space station to try to negotiate a peace deal between the Kree and Skrulls.

"You see a trajectory: what Fury's dealing with, with the Skulls and everything, in that series really determines how he feels about the Skulls in our film," director Nia DaCosta told Total Film Magazine.

2019's "Captain Marvel" arguably gave us the best version of Nick Fury in the MCU — one who gushes over flerkins disguised as ordinary household cats and impromptu sings The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" while washing dishes with the titular hero, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). Thankfully, it sounds as though "The Marvels" will see that playful side of Fury re-emerge as he reunites with Carol, which should make for an invigorating change of pace after Fury spent the entirety of "Secret Invasion" being constantly told how old and tired he seems.

"When we get to spend time with Nick Fury as he interacts with Carol Danvers, we see a different side of Nick that's truly delightful and sweet," said executive producer Mary Livanos. "Carol and Nick have a deeper relationship than most of the other characters in the MCU. So we get to see more of a laid-back, fun Fury than we've seen before."

"The Marvels" itself promises to mark a similar tonal shift from the dour (and, quite frankly, boring) affair that was "Secret Invasion," pairing Carol with her fellow superheroes Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) for an adventure that sees them switching places every time they use their powers. "I think superhero fatigue absolutely exists," said DaCosta. "The biggest difference from the other MCU movies to date is that it's really wacky, and silly."

Could "The Marvels" even go so far as to redeem "Secret Invasion" and its many mistakes? Probably not, but between it and "Loki" season 2, the combined powers of Carol Danvers and friends might just be enough to end what's been an exceptionally rough year for the MCU on a stronger note. The film will fly into theaters on November 10, 2023.