Secret invasion is all about hidden identities and shape-shifting, but after four episodes, it’s still not quite committed to a shocking conspiracy thriller. Sure, we’ve had a few revelations about politicians secretly being Skrulls, and the US government vaguely blaming Nick Fury for Maria Hill’s death, but they could go so much further.
[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion episode 4.]
In the show’s fourth episode, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his men discuss the fact that they are supposed to speak Russian on their next operation: an attempt to assassinate the US president. It’s hard to miss how reminiscent of the scene, intentionally or not Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2‘No Russian’ mission.
In the mission of the game, a terrorist leader, Makarov, reminds his men not to speak Russian during a terrorist attack on a Russian airport, hoping to frame America for the attack and start a war. The level was incredibly controversial at the time because it allowed players to shoot virtual citizens, but it’s also just the kind of politics Secret invasion continues to feint and then back away from it – it’s a show that trades in half measures.
This week gives us a good example: Gravik may have hoped to accuse the Russians of attacking the president in the planning stages, but then his mission seems to fail. He and his team speak English regularly during the operation. Then, as if his cover wasn’t blown enough, he goes and uses his weird Groot-ish tree arm powers. His team is also committed to killing Talos instead of the president. Everything feels completely failed.
Let Gravik do the bad and let him blame other people for it! Even the only proper list the show has so far, Fury killing Maria Hill, has been relegated to blackmail material from Rhodey – who is almost certainly a Skrull.
The premise of shape-shifters taking over the world sounds thrillingly unnerving, but four episodes in, Secret invasion can’t quite make up for it. It is clear why the comic version of Secret invasion wouldn’t work on the show, and why Marvel wouldn’t want this series overrun with its most famous superheroes. But that doesn’t mean Skrulls disguised as heroes shouldn’t commit murders and devious plots all over the world. As it stands, almost every moment of the show so far could have just been about faceless terrorists instead of refugees.
The whole point of introducing shape-shifting aliens to a world full of characters we know and love is that they make you question the motivations of your favorite heroes; would That Guy really do that horrible thing, or are they just a Skrull in disguise? Just how bad is the bad guy? It’s all a way to take the audience out of their comfort zone. So while the plot echoes Call of Duty, it doesn’t embody the risk of that franchise’s infamous moment.
Modern warfare 2‘s ‘No Russian’ mission was controversial, not because of the crimes it depicts, but because the game forced players to participate in it. It’s unnecessary but effective, temporarily washing away the “we’re the good guys” facade that Call of Duty games usually leave players safe behind. Sure, the mission could have been a cutscene instead, but if it was, we certainly wouldn’t be talking about it right now.
The interconnected Marvel Universe may be too fragile to go there. Secret invasion‘s reasons for avoiding something shocking seem pernicious and brand-related. It feels like Marvel isn’t willing to tarnish the image of any of its money makers with an atrocity lest they be needed for a spin-off in Phase 9.
I’m not saying that Secret invasion needs to go full “Not Russian” or have Skrull let Captain America kill civilians, but I think the series might have benefited from a minor hero committing a few war crimes – or at least being accused of them.