Marvel’s Secret Invasion reviews are in — and now I'm worried

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
(Image credit: Disney.com/Marvel Studios)

The first reviews for Marvel's Secret Invasion just dropped, and they've certainly lowered our expectations. The series, which seems to have snuck up on some, debuts next Wednesday (June 21) on Disney Plus, and just had its premiere this week, followed by reviews dropping online.

Secret Invasion stars Samuel L. Jackson, back as Nick Fury — and looking to stop the titular conquest. The enemy are the shape-shifting Skrulls, whom he met in Captain Marvel. But Jackson is far from alone when it comes to star power: Emilia Clarke, Dermot Mulroney, Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn, Don Cheadle, Martin Freeman and Cobie Smulders are all here.

On top of that, Secret Invasion was billed as a 'crossover event,' the kind of language that gets people hyped. But with the first reviews, we've gone from excited to wary.

But none of that explains if you should prioritize watching Secret Invasion next week. Here's what we've learned from the critics, with both the positive and negative reactions. Oh, and one note: critics were only shown the first two of six episodes.

Secret Invasion reviews: Why I'm worried

Daniel Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter calls Secret Invasion "middling" and "a disappointment." He also notes "Unfortunately, the action in Secret Invasion peaks with [its] first scene," before saying "A third of the way through the series, though, Secret Invasion is less Cold War and more Generally Tepid Kerfuffle."

Meghan O'Keefe, at Decider, notes that one of Secret Invasion's early "fumbles" comes in "pacing, over-emphasizing how Fury is off his game with repetitive scenes. A fun drinking game would be to take a shot anytime someone tells Fury he hasn’t been the same since the Blip. You would soon be too hammered to catch any of Secret Invasion‘s many Marvel Easter eggs."

Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

More damningly, Meghan writes "The scripts are flabby, the visuals uninspired. Five years ago, Secret Invasion would have been top-tier genre entertainment. Now it feels, like Fury, a few important steps behind the competition."

Ben Travers, of IndieWire, dryly slaps Secret Invasion's lack of ambition, writing "if “Secret Invasion” had any ambitions beyond fulfilling Disney’s content demands, the six-episode limited series could speak to plenty of relevant, real-world issues." He also condemns the series, echoing Feinberg as he writes "Nine shows into Marvel’s streaming experiment, we know what we’re getting, and “Secret Invasion” is nearly as disappointing as its predecessors — even when taken from a modified perspective."

Secret Invasion reviews: reasons for optimism

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

But since Secret Invasion earned a 72% Rotten Tomatoes score, there are positive reviews out there, and here are snippets of three that I find the most interesting. 

Variety's Daniel D'Addario gave Secret Invasion the kind of praise that makes me interested in the six hours of storytelling we'll get, writing "Secret Invasion looks very much like its own beast, a genuine serial story within the lumbering Marvel apparatus. One wonders if, like the villainous creatures at its center, it’ll end up revealing its true form, but for now, its humanity makes for a pretty good look.

Rayyan, of The Cine Geek, brings up the one thing I was hoping for, tweeted that Secret Invasion "In terms of quality, feels like Marvel’s Andor. They also elaborated that it's because "it feels more human than anything else MCU recently." 

Richard Newby at Empire rated Secret Invasion 4 out of 5 stars, and wrote "As one of the MCU’s most mature projects to date, Secret Invasion is a riveting, tense drama that gifts its actors with weighty material and encourages its audience to look beyond the sheen of superheroism."

Outlook: Secret Invasion still has to reveal itself

Secret Invasion title card

(Image credit: Marvel Studios via Twitter)

Two out of six episodes should be enough to get a solid read on a series, as you're basically watching the first act. That said, Secret Invasion, a story all about twists and reveals, could have plenty of surprise in its back four. 

For now, though, I'd wager folks (unless you're worried about spoilers on social media) won't need to watch first thing in the morning, and can wait until Wednesday night or later to watch.

TOPICS
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

Read more
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" on Disney Plus.
I just watched 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' — here's my 3 big takeaways
Anthony Mackie in "Captain America: Brave New World"
'Captain America: Brave New World' first reactions — here's what people are saying about Anthony Mackie as Cap, Harrison Ford's Red Hulk and more
Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) in "Captain America: Brave New World".
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is competent but forgettable
Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) as Invincible in his blue suit during a scene from "Invincible" season 3 on Prime Video.
'Invincible' season 3 is better than ever — and it's already 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Marvel's "Avengers: Doomsday" announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2024.
Every upcoming Marvel movie and TV show coming to the MCU
Stephen Amell as Ted Black in the first image from "Suits: L.A."
I watched the first three episodes of 'Suits LA' — and it’s more knockoff than knockout
Latest in Streaming
A first look at Amazon's Fallout TV series coming to Prime Video
‘Fallout’ season 3 plans are reportedly being made — while season 2 is still filming
Ben Mendelsohn in Andor season 2
'Welcome to the Rebellion' — new ‘Andor’ season 2 trailer teases a darker edge
Adam Scott in "Severance," now streaming on Apple TV Plus.
'Severance' season 3 officially greenlit — but I may not watch after that season 2 finale
Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon season 2
‘House of the Dragon’ season 3 has officially begun filming — what it could mean for the potential release window
Kat Graham and Meagan Tandy in Tyler Perry's "Duplicity" on Prime Video
Prime Video’s latest hit thriller proves that bad movies can still win — and I’m sick of it
Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) stands on the hood of a car with an explosion behind him in a promotional still for Warner Bros. "Mad Max:Fury Road"
One of the best action movies ever made is leaving Netflix very soon — here's your last day to stream 'Mad Max: Fury Road'
Latest in News
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch Ultra 3 just tipped for two major upgrades
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Tuesday, March 25 (#653)
A first look at Amazon's Fallout TV series coming to Prime Video
‘Fallout’ season 3 plans are reportedly being made — while season 2 is still filming
Surface Laptop 7 from the front
Amazon just gave Surface Laptop 7 a 'frequently returned' label — here's what's going on
New emojis with iOS 18.4 beta release.
iOS 18.4 beta brings 8 new emoji to your iPhone — here's all the new options
23andME box
23andMe has declared bankruptcy — here's how to delete your data now