The series of the week: Secret Invasion | Aliens, spies and big name actors

A Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series without superheroes? It’s the bet of Secret Invasion. Samuel L. Jackson takes over the role of Nick Fury for the 12^e time. The prestigious cast also includes Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke and Ben Mendelsohn. The Press spoke to director Ali Selim.

The story

The film Captain Marvel (2019) revealed the existence of Skrulls, aliens capable of changing their appearance to take on that of a human, for example. Initially perceived as threatening, they are, we learn, an orphan people since the destruction of their planet by the Kree. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury promise to find them a new one, but invite them to remain incognito on Earth in the meantime. The Blip – Thanos’ snap of fingers in Avengers: Infinity War which wiped out half of the living beings in the universe for five years – slows down the process, however. A long Nick Fury mission to a space base also contributes to the delay. Growing impatient, rebellious Skrulls led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) move into a former nuclear power plant in Russia and prepare to fight the humans for control of Earth.

The style

During the virtual press conference of the artisans of Secret Invasion, the term “grounded” has been uttered many times. It does not translate so easily, because “anchored” or “established” does not correspond exactly to the intended meaning. Thus, we asked the director of the six episodes, Ali Selim (sweetland, In-Treatment), to give us its definition. “I like human stories which have a universal impact rather than stories which want to have a universal impact and which seek the human aspect, he indicates from the outset. This story is about Nick Fury, a man who can’t fly. He returns to Earth, a little older, a little dropped, disoriented by the Blip. Despite everything, he must accomplish the mission he has given himself. It’s the kind of story I like to tell, because I can do it with empathy. »

Inspiration

Ever since the series was announced in 2020, Marvel Studios has been promising a tone similar to that of Captain America: The Winter Soldierone of the most acclaimed films of the MCU. Secret Invasion is inspired by a series of eight comics of the same name launched between June 2008 and January 2009. This one, however, includes many more characters. “Reading the screenplay, I retained the themes of mistrust, suspicion, paranoia as well as that of the solitary figure who questions himself philosophically,” says Ali Selim. I plunged back into film noir, such The Third Man (Carol Reed) The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola) and Alan Pakula’s paranoid trilogy: Klute, The Parallax View And All the President’s Men. The tension created in these works inspired me. The director points out that the series will evolve in a way that evokes classic American Westerns, such as The Searchersby John Ford, and Unforgivenby Clint Eastwood.

The distribution

The Press was able to watch the first two episodes of Secret Invasion. The enormous talent of the actors is put to good use. Scenes between Samuel L. Jackson and Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn and then Don Cheadle are already among the most beautiful moments of “pure cinema” in the MCU. “It’s a group made up of some of our best living actors. My job was simply to give them the conditions so that they could offer the best of them, mentions Ali Selim. Several scenes show two people talking, like in the theatre. Our goal was to find the emotional truth in these moments. The director, who says he has developed a strong bond with Ben Mendelsohn, remarks that the Australian actor “can’t help but expose this truth”. “Being in the same room as Emilia Clarke when she works is a privilege. I also feel privileged to have witnessed the electricity generated by Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle, who had wanted to share a stage together for years,” he adds.

Our opinion

After two episodes Secret Invasion is off to a very good start. The result will be decisive, because the plot is for the moment only barely revealed. It would be surprising if a major tone-break occurred, so it’s safe to say that this is the MCU’s most serious and darkest series yet. There is tension and action. The special effects are successful, but we wonder why the Skrulls can change the appearance of their clothes in addition to their bodies… Without repeating ourselves, the cast is truly exceptional. So much so that the performance of actors other than those already mentioned sometimes seems weaker. This is not the case of Kingsley Ben-Adir who is particularly convincing in Skrull with boundless determination. He is downright intimidating.

On Disney+, from June 21