Secret Invasion director Ali Selim explains how rock, paper, scissors influenced the series’ explosive Super Skrull battle.
Per Deadline, the filmmaker revealed that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige initially gave the show permission to use any and all superpowers. “It starts with Kevin Feige, who says, ‘We’re gonna have a Super Skrull fight, and all superpowers are fair game,'” Selim explained. “I think that is actually best communicated in the moment where Gravik takes the vial from Fury and puts it in the computer for analysis. We see oh, it is all the superpowers scrolling up here.”
Once that was established, the creative team mapped out the battle between Gravik and G’iah, often resorting to rock, paper, scissors match-ups to ensure neither character was the clear winner from the onset. “It’s also just a little bit of choreography and visual elegance or beauty, just making it work. There were some transitions from a superpower to another superpower that made sense in the story that just didn’t look good,” Selim continued. “So we shifted the story to accommodate the choreography.”
Secretly Invading the MCU
Secret Invasion follows Nick Fury, once again played by Samuel L. Jackson, as he embarks on a quest to thwart a clandestine Skrull uprising after the shape-shifting aliens take on the appearance of various political figures. A key plot point of the show was the creation of a specialized formula that contains the DNA of every Avenger, effectively granting a Skrull access to a wealth of abilities. The villainous Gravik is the first to use the serum and is followed by G’iah, leading to a massive brawl in the finale.
Despite its lofty goals, Secret Invasion managed to disappoint both fans and critics alike. Many reviews lamented the series’ uneven pace and exposition-heavy writing, leading to it being one of the worst-rated MCU shows yet.
Secret Invasion is streaming in its entirety on Disney+.
