Marvel's Secret Invasion Seeks To Humanize Nick Fury After Cheating Death Again And Again
The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe TV miniseries "Secret Invasion," set to debut on Disney+ in June, will tell the story of an infiltration of Earth by a species of malevolent shapeshifting aliens called the Skrulls. The invasion is extrapolated from events first presented in the 2019 film "Captain Marvel," which was set in 1995. It seems that the Skrulls have been biding their time, creeping their way into positions of power for years. This is, incidentally, also a plot point in the most recent season of "Star Trek: Picard," another series to feature shape-shifting alien villains.
"Captain Marvel" foregrounded the character of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the eyepatch-sporting military leader who came up with the idea of getting the Avengers together in the first place. Fury has always exuded confidence, knowing that forming the superhero team is ultimately a good idea. He also has the resources to keep the team together and equip them for any supernatural alien fight they may encounter. Let's not forget that S.H.I.E.L.D. somehow operated a massive, flying, invisible aircraft carrier in the sky.
By "Secret Invasion," Nick Fury has been through a lot. He has had to fake his death on a few occasions and actually got dusted by Thanos in one of the "Avengers: Infinity War" credits scenes in 2018. Don't worry. He got better. Jackson, however, who is now 74, sees the new series as a way to communicate how weary Fury has become since "Iron Man" in 2008, and show how human he actually is. Fury is not a superpowered man.
In a new interview with Empire Magazine, Jackson said that this time around, the stalwart hero will be showing his age. The previously invulnerable powerhouse will, it seems, finally be vulnerable.
The unkillable (?) Nick Fury
Jackson commented on Nick Fury's overall look, which involved a neatly trimmed goatee, an eyepatch, and a badass long coat. Jackson pointed out that Fury's clothes were a deliberate affect of the character; Fury wasn't merely a confident commander, but he wished to be perceived a certain way. "All those things," Jackson said, "are part of a Nick Fury that's invulnerable."
In "Secret Invasion," Fury will shed his signature look, stop wearing his eyepatch, and have a spy adventure in more practical clothing. Although he comes from the world of superhero comics, Fury will no longer be in costume. Jackson said:
"Here you have a guy who's showing his face, and showing his age. It's an opportunity to humanize someone that everybody thinks is superhuman."
Indeed, an exclusive image in Empire depicts Fury wearing a pair of glasses. Despite living in a sci-fi fantasy universe, the ravages of age catch up with everyone. While Fury will be dealing with an alien conspiracy in "Secret Invasion," the miniseries' six-hour runtime will give Jackson ample opportunity to explore his character's emotional variety. What is Nick Fury like when he's not on the job? Jackson said he was eager to find out:
"I had to figure out some stuff and work out some new things, which I've been trying to do for a while. [...] It's great to have an opportunity to find out who he was and delve into how much of a toll his job actually takes on his personal life."
What, for instance, does Nick Fury's home look like? Has he ever dated? What are his favorite books? These things have not been mentioned in the MCU.
The world of humans
An aspect of the MCU that rarely gets paid attention to is the toll the cosmic battles and universe-wide genocides have on the average human citizen. Indeed, the vast percentage of characters in the MCU are now non-human characters, or human characters that have been enhanced by magic or ultra-technology. The MCU humans who only have access to recognizable, street-level tech are practically nonexistent. "Secret Invasion," Jackson explained, aims to rectify that as well. It will be a superhero series that will refreshingly only look at non-superhero characters. The actor said:
"One of the things we really wanted to bring to this show that makes it a little bit unique in the Marvel universe is vulnerability. [...] Nick Fury is just a human, Maria Hill [the character played by Cobie Smulders] is just a human. A single bullet could take them out. That's something we don't always get in the MCU. To bring that level of tension, fear and vulnerability into one of our shows was really exciting."
Given the language in the "Secret Invasion" trailer, it also sounds as if Nick Fury may also face that rarest of superhero milestones: retirement. It may very well be time to hang up the eyepatch. That said, Jackson has played the character enough times that he will always be fond of him, and hope to see him persist in some way, even if he's not hero-ing. He said:
"I love playing [Fury], and I love the fact that they're opening him up to all these other possibilities and this whole life that he has. [...] So hopefully I'm not done, and in this new phase of the MCU I'll still be floating in and out of there somehow, some way."
Succinctly, plan for a "Kang Dynasty" cameo. "Secret Invasion" premieres on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.