Plot elements and concepts for Secret Invasion were reportedly quashed by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige for not jiving with longer-term MCU goals.
In Marvel’s imminently debuting streaming series Secret Invasion, audiences will spend more time with Nick Fury than ever before, with the six-episode Disney+ show built around Samuel L. Jackson’s veteran super spy.
Secret Invasion’s specific plot points have been scarce - kept tight under wraps by the studio. But the overarching narrative concerns an evil cabal of Skrulls who have used their shape-shifting abilities to infiltrate some of the planet’s highest offices.
Feige Shot Down Some Secret Invasion Concepts
According to Secret Invasion director Ali Selim during an interview with Screen Rant, various notions and ideas for what could be included in the Marvel series were “killed” because Kevin Feige “has a plan.”
When asked by the outlet if Feige or anyone else at Marvel Studios mandated who could and couldn’t be revealed as Skrulls in the series, Selim revealed that he had considerable leeway as long as everything aligned with the MCU’s goalposts:
“I guess that's a question for Kevin Feige, but all ideas were on the table. All ideas were good. Some ideas were less good. And some ideas were killed because Kevin has a plan going down the road, and I'm not sure what that plan is. We had free rein until it didn't make sense for story.“
Of course, Feige’s the boss and if the story doesn’t gel with the content of a future MCU installment, the Marvel chief creative officer will likely ask for an adjustment to be made.
This is far from the first time something like this has happened. Previously, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness explained that Marvel had him remove elements of Kang the Conqueror’s backstory. This action was taken to save those moments for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Additionally, Bruce Campbell, who had a cameo in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, described a situation where director Sam Raimi was required to add specific scenes to the movie in order to fit the ongoing Marvel mythology.
What MCU Projects Could Secret Invasion Be Teeing Up?
So, Kevin Feige requested certain story points to be present or absent from Secret Invasion to preserve key details of upcoming productions. But what could those productions have been?
For starters, the obvious one is likely The Marvels, which takes place post-Secret Invasion on the MCU timeline and features Nick Fury prominently. With Fury serving as the lead character in the series, it makes sense that certain pieces would likely have to be on the board for when he returns in the film.
Another example of wanting to keep the narrative intact could center on Armor Wars. Don Cheadle has a role in Invasion, reprising his part from a myriad of Marvel offerings: James Rhodes. An official release date for the Armor Wars movie has not been revealed as of yet but perhaps specific things needed to occur in Secret Invasion so they can flow into Rhodey’s adventures in Armor Wars?
Whatever the case may be, Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion reveals itself on Disney+ when it premieres on Wednesday, June 21.
