Secret Invasion Episode 2 Finally Gives Don Cheadle The MCU Acting Showcase He Deserves
This post contain spoilers for the first two episodes of "Secret Invasion"
Look, we might have too much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but "Secret Invasion" isn't all that bad (so far). The massive Marvel event that's also not big enough to warrant a full movie has finally hit Disney+, and it's off to a strong start. As executive producer Jonathan Schwartz told Vanity Fair, the show takes many of its cues from British author John le Carré's celebrated espionage novels, making for a Marvel streaming series that's unlike any of the many that have come before.
Alas, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" this is not. As much as "Secret Invasion" brings some much needed solemnity to the MCU, it's still full of green aliens with a variety of international accents. (My favorite is Ben Mendolsohn's Aussie alien Talos.) Still, it's nice to see something a bit more serious from Kevin Feige and co., who have done a solid job of establishing a consistent tone in the first two episodes of "Secret Invasion," despite the prospect of "the MCU's take on John le Carré" sounding like something truly worth skipping.
In fact, in a startling turn of events that's more of a twist than the show's "they were a Skrull the whole time" reveals, there's actually a few moments of affecting drama in Marvel's latest. Seeing Samuel L. Jackson remind us of his acting abilities while playing a man who's own espionage skills are constantly called into question has proven a compelling watch. There's also Kingsley Ben-Adir's villainous Gravik, who, in his few scenes from the initial episodes, has managed to bring more charisma to a Marvel baddie than, well... almost anyone. And if you want yet another reason to risk MCU's spy thriller, the great Don Cheadle has finally been given more to do.
Rhodes comes into his own
From a fatherly social worker in "Hotel for Dogs" to enduring the Rwandan genocide in "Hotel Rwanda" and plenty of movies that have nothing to do with hotels, Cheadle has consistently proven his versatility since he first started working in the '80s. But when it comes to his role as James Rhodes, aka War Machine, in the MCU, Cheadle's performances have mostly been limited to his interactions with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. That said, over the 13 years Cheadle has been a part of Marvel's shared universe, he has had his moments. "Captain America: Civil War" provided the actor with a lot more to do in terms of, y'know acting, as did "Iron Man 3."
But Kevin Feige and his directors have always seemingly overlooked just how talented a star they have on their hands with Cheadle, which is why it's nice to see him being given a little more to do with "Secret Invasion." While there's not much of Rhodey in the first episode of "Secret Invasion," there's enough in episode 2 to suggest we're going to see a whole new side of the character in the near future, with one tense scene in particular showcasing both Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson's acting skills.
After Jackson's Nick Fury fails to thwart a bomb plot in Moscow, leading to the death of Cobie Smulders' agent Maria Hill, global leaders are looking for someone to blame. And with Fury being spotted at the scene, he very quickly becomes the target of their ire. Thankfully, James Rhodes defends him at a hearing before meeting with the former S.H.I.E.L.D director in an empty upscale restaurant to chastise him for his recklessness. The meeting ends with Fury being unceremoniously fired, something Rhodes actually volunteered to execute himself. But it's the interaction between the two, prior to Fury's dismissal, that's the best part of the whole thing.
Plot twist: MCU stuff can still be good sometimes
As /Film's Josh Spiegel wrote in his review of the first two "Secret Invasion" episodes (which were all that were sent to critics before the premiere), "lengthy scenes where Jackson can bring out a spark of chemistry with his co-stars (also including a sharpish Don Cheadle, returning as James Rhodes) are effective enough and serve as a reminder that hiring a famous actor is one thing but giving them good material to work with is even better." And the material provided to both Cheadle and Jackson for this scene in particular is surprisingly sharp.
The lines are not only well-crafted but delivered with believable exasperation by Jackson and slowly simmering anger by Cheadle, as he admonishes Fury for his Moscow blunder and his obsession with a global plot that, at this point in the show, still sounds like a conspiracy theory. Their heated conversation spans everything from politics to the pair's "professional, personal, ancestral history."
And in truth, it's actually kind of weird to see old Rhodey monologuing about the importance of wielding "power wrestled from mediocre men" in an "uncompromising" and "unsparing" way rather than trading gibes with Tony Stark. But it's weird in a refreshing way, especially when Rhodes wraps up his eloquent dressing down of Fury with the phrase "you earned all this smoke, brother," bringing a touch of bathos to the conversation and simultaneously making up for some of the more characteristically silly aspects of this MCU entry — "Americans against Russia?" Come on, guys.
Bring on Armor Wars
While Kyle Bradstreet serves as head writer on "Secret Invasion," episode 2 was written by Brian Tucker, who's also supposedly penning the long-gestating "Spawn" reboot. And if he's responsible for the dialogue in the scene where Fury is fired by Rhodes, might we suggest using more of Tucker in the future and maybe less of the "Rick and Morty" guys?
Admittedly, it's true that "Secret Invasion" isn't going on a list of the best Don Cheadle performances just yet. But it's still great to see how bringing Rhodes into the MCU's spy thriller can result in seeing a lot more of Cheadle's range. After showing up in seven films and two TV shows, it's about time the character was given a bit more to do, and it bodes well for the MCU going forward that Marvel Studios is willing to switch things up in order to refresh their increasingly tired franchise.
We'll obviously have to see where things go in the show's remaining four episodes. But with "Secret Invasion" set to kick off the Cheadle-led "Armor Wars," which has officially been upgraded from streaming series to full-fledged movie, it looks as though we'll be getting much more than a couple hours of War Machine quips when it finally does arrive.