While some have criticized the Disney+ show's finale, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim gave a good explanation as to why it ended such on a controversial note.
Secret Invasion was filled with many criticisms, with some noting its final episode didn't fully resolve the show's premise.
Moreover, the MCU series' final installment also received the worst-ever Rotten Tomatoes score in franchise history, only earning a 13% critic approval rating.
Selim shared his surprising reaction to the show's mixed reviews, noting that he doesn't feel bad about it while also pointing out that he doesn't read them.
Secret Invasion Director Reacts to Show’s Controversial Ending
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim discussed the show's finale.
In the controversial finale, President Ritson declared war on all Skrulls. Afterward, the episode showed a montage of vigilantes killing Skrulls and humans alike, ending the series infused with paranoia.
Selim talked about Secret Invasion's crazy ending, pointing out that "Nick Fury has to have some opposition as we leave the series:"
“Well, I think that Ritson could say, 'The Skrulls are welcome here,' which is a great message, but not great drama. Nick Fury has to have some opposition as we leave the series. Even though he’s come to terms with it, I don’t know that it’s realistic to think that everybody has come to terms with it."
The Marvel director continued by saying that the finale should give viewers an idea "this battle could go on," teasing that Sonya Falsworth and G'iah could be the ones to "fix it:"
"I think it’s important to show that a sense of other can create a sense of conflict. The choice was: Do we want a Pollyanna ending, or do we want an ending with some real guts to it? The idea is that this battle could go on. But Sonya and G’iah reconcile at the end, and maybe they’re going to fix it. Maybe these two strong, beautiful women are going to come in and fix it.”
When Screen Rant pointed out that President Ritson's speech in the final episode mirrored the real world's "overreactions based on fear," Selim agreed, with him saying that he thinks it "feels most truthful to have written and says this battle is gonna go on:"
Screen Rant: "The president’s speech mirrors a lot of real-world overreactions based on fear."
Selim: "Real world stuff! You come to that fork of the road with Ritson, and you can have him accept the Skrulls and provide a home for them, which is very Pollyanna ending to a drama, or you can have him say this battle is gonna go on. I think we are living in a world of other right now, and I think it’s very difficult to reconcile that other as much as many of us would like to do. I think it only feels most truthful to have written and say this battle is gonna go on."
When asked if President Ritson is a villain in the MCU, Selim teased that "he could be" before pointing out that he doesn't know the character's true fate after the series:
"Oh, he could be. He could learn a lesson and not be that. He could continue and be that, or this could be the last we see of Ritson. I don’t really know. I’m not so involved."
The Marvel filmmaker then reiterated that he was given "some requirements" for movies like The Marvels and Armor Wars:
"I was given some requirements for the next movie. You have to put Nick Fury up in space. For the next beat, you have to make sure that Rhodey’s legs don’t work for Armor Wars, but other than that I’m not as involved in what comes next. I’m really focused on the six episodes that exist within these four walls."
Meanwhile, Secret Invasion's finale also showcased G'iah's impressive new abilities, and it appears that she's the most powerful character in the MCU (so far).
When asked if Selim liked the character's odds moving forward, the director played coy, but he did tease that G'iah's arrangement with Sonya Falsworth has "great potential to launch something badass:"
"I hate to deflect any question, especially the first question, but what’s gonna happen to her is a great question for Kevin Feige. I found not only her superpowers, but her arrangement with Olivia Colman’s Sonya to have really great potential to launch something badass, as strong women going forward. But it also served, for me, as a really great resolution to the story that we were telling. So if she goes on, it’s gonna be exciting and huge, and if that was the resolution, I’m thrilled as an audience member."
Speaking with The Wrap, Selim said that Sonya and G'iah's ending sets up "something really potentially interesting" while also acknowledging that it's "a lovely resolution to the story:"
“For me, the Olivia Colman/Emilia Clarke, Sonya/G’iah moment at the end, I think it does set up something really potentially interesting. But I think it’s also a lovely resolution to the story. And if they never show up in the MCU again, I feel fulfilled.”
Why Secret Invasion's Controversial Ending Felt Incomplete
Secret Invasion director Ali Selim's comments about the show's finale suggest that he went all-in to deliver a game-changing installment poised to have major ramifications across the MCU.
However, the fact that the show's ending essentially created a more interesting premise is a glaring problem for the finale, considering that it sacrificed wrapping up certain story arcs (like Nick Fury's) and prioritized setting up future projects.
By looking at the bigger picture, G'iah and Sonya's future team-up and President Ritson's declaration of war against Skrulls join the list of cliffhangers that Marvel Studios still needs to resolve.
It's possible that President Ritson's act of war against the Skrulls will be addressed in The Marvels or Captain America: Brave New World.
Meanwhile, it is unknown which project will tackle G'iah and Sonya's new partnership.
Whether it is a potential Secret Invasion Season 2, Thunderbolts, or a new project altogether, many would argue that the pair's story is far from over and worth seeing.
All episodes of Secret Invasion are now streaming on Disney+.
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