Before Marvel Studios' sixthAvengersfilm,Secret Wars, arrives in theaters, audiences will have to tune into the upcoming Disney+ seriesSecret Invasionto see where things are headed for the franchise, as it careens towards the next big team-up film. A pivotal part of theMarvel Cinematic Universe’s fifth phase, the series will set the scene for what is on the horizon. Both projects will take inspiration from the similarly titled comic book storyline, which revolves around the shape-shifting Skrulls.
StarringSamuel L. JacksonandBen Mendelsohn, both reprising their roles fromCaptain Marvel, in which the Skrulls were introduced, the series will see an attempt by Jackson’s Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who has beenoff-worldworking with the Skrulls, touncover a conspiracyto manipulate antagonistic Skrulls into positions of power around the world as a result of their unique shape-shifting ability. While the comic books are a clear inspiration forSecret Invasion, the series is taking inspiration from another—more surprising—source as well.
What Is the Inspiration BehindSecret Invasion?
Brian Michael Bendiswas behind the Marvel Comicsstory arc of the same name, which—as the biggest stories tend to do—crossed over majorly into the storylines of other superheroes. In a shocking reveal, even established and well-known Marvel heroes were occasionally revealed to have been covert replacements that were placed there by the Skrulls, who were planning a silent coup.
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Jonathan Schwartz, the executive producer onthe Disney+ series, also explained toVanity Fairwhere the inspiration had been drawn in terms of the theme of the series, noting that it would be taking cues from Cold War era espionage thrillers from the likes of authorJohn le Carré, as well as more recent acclaimed television series which explored the themes of identity and loyalty to the cause. “We were really inspired by shows likeHomelandandTheAmericans,” said Schwartz. “What you find is there are people that you trust or youthinkyou can trust—or you can only trust to a certain point.”
HomelandandTheAmericans, of course, featured characters who had infiltrated their way into positions of influence within the circles in which they had been placed, in order to manipulate the results for their own end. The news thatSecret Invasionwill be based around more mature themes of spying, infiltration, and paranoia is a newer theme for the MCU, previously only really touched upon inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.
The six-episode serieslaunches on Disney+ on July 11, 2025.Secret Invasionstars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn,Emilia Clarke, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, Don Cheadle, Kingsley Ben-Adir,andOlivia Colman.Check out our interview with Clarke about the series below:
