Secret Invasion director Ali Selim spoiled that one major MCU character isn't set to cameo in the Disney+ series.
In July 2022, Marvel Studios described Secret Invasion as a "crossover event series," leading many to heavily speculate which MCU characters could appear.
Secret Invasion star Martin Freeman even hyped up the MCU show when he mentioned how the story is "quite labyrinthine" (meaning 'intricate') in terms of "the [number] of people crossing over with each other."
1 MCU Villain Will Not Appear in Secret Invasion
In the latest issue of SFX Magazine, Secret Invasion director Ali Selim talked about potential cameos in the Disney+ series.
When asked if any familiar MCU faces will return as Skrull versions of themselves, Selim did confirm that Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Val will not appear in the show:
“Those things on the internet are quite funny. [Contessa Valentina actress] Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not in the show… I’m not sure how that ended up there!”
The MCU director then pointed out that Secret Invasion's surprises should remain as is, noting that cameos are "less interesting to [him] than the heart of the story:"
“It’s all about surprise, intention and reveal, and repeat. I hope there’s a lot of that in there. But in terms of cameos, that’s less interesting to me than the heart of the story, which I think we really found, and the heart of that story is: ‘Who can you trust?’”
Secret Invasion assembled a stellar cast, with the likes of MCU newcomers Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman joining franchise veterans Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle.
Selim offered high praise for the show's incredible ensemble:
“They are among our best living actors, all in one room at the same time. And they are all very dedicated, committed to their journey, to their part of the story.”
The Marvel director continued by saying that each cast member had a different way of working to achieve the best results on-screen:
“The best training that I had for this job was coaching Little League Baseball with 12 different kids; they all have different needs, [and] they all want to hit the ball, but in very different ways. And you have to learn how to deal with each of them in their own special way. Not that any of these actors are impetuous 12-year-olds.”
Who Could Make a Cameo in Secret Invasion?
Ali Selim's confirmation that Val will not appear in Secret Invasion isn't surprising.
Although Julia Louis-Dreyfus' MCU character plays an important role in the franchise, it is not ideal to reveal her as a Skrull since she is still new to the franchise.
While a good chunk of fans are expecting some of the Avengers to make an appearance in the series, Secret Invasion Episode 2 revealed exactly why Earth's Mightiest Heroes couldn't show up.
In the installment, Nick Fury told James Rhodes that they can't get the Avengers in a fight with the Skrulls, pointing out that the shapeshifting aliens could turn the world against them:
“No… we can't jump the gun on that… You know, we get them in a fight with the Skrulls, and the next thing you know, they find themselves duplicated and turned into terrorists.”
Still, Secret Invasion could feature surprise cameos who are not members of the Avengers.
Notable characters, such as Sharon Carter, Happy Hogan, Okoye, and Xialing could make an appearance and potentially reveal themselves as Skrulls all along.
Doing this would achieve Marvel Studios' earlier tease that Secret Invasion is, in fact, a Disney+ crossover event.
Secret Invasion is streaming on Disney+.
