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Secret Invasion set photos give us the first clues about Marvel’s biggest new show

Published Jan 24th, 2022 10:35PM EST
Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Fury in Secret Invasion.
Image: Marvel Studios

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We still don’t have an official release date, but rumors say that Marvel’s Secret Invasion will hit Disney Plus later this year. What we are certain of is that Marvel is currently on location in Leeds, UK filming Secret Invasion. That explains the avalanche of set photos that hit the web over the weekend. Some of the stars playing returning MCU characters appear in various images and videos that made their way online. But some of the brand new and more mysterious additions to the MCU also appear in the set photos.

Why this TV show is so exciting

If you’re familiar with the Secret Invasion comics, you know why Marvel’s TV show is so exciting. The Skrulls have been infiltrating Earth for years, replacing some of the superheroes. The Skrulls are shape-shifters that we met in Captain Marvel. We then saw a few of them in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Not all the Skrulls are bad guys, and we already saw the Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) worked together with a Skrull team. That relationship lasted for decades, considering that Fury was still collaborating with Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) in Far From Home. But some of the Skrulls certainly might be more villainous. And they might very well use their abilities to replace some of the MCU’s beloved Avengers.

That’s what makes Secret Invasion so exciting, and that’s even before we look at the set photos. The story might establish another important storyline in Phase 4, in addition to the multiverse, one that might be explored in future MCU adventures. Rumors do say that The Marvels will tie into Secret Invasion. The Captain Marvel sequel will hit theaters on February 17th, 2023.

When you consider the amazing cast that Marvel conjured for this TV show, you also realize that Secret Invasion could turn out to be an important Phase 4 pillar.

In addition to Jackson and Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders is returning to the MCU. We saw her Maria Hill in various stories so far, and we expect her and Fury to be still working together in the aftermath of Endgame.

The list of newcomers is also impressive. Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Christopher McDonald, Killian Scott, Carmen Ejogo, and Kingsley Ben-Adir will star in the TV show.

The Secret Invasion set photos

That said, we have no idea what will happen in Secret Invasion. That’s why the set photos that leaked over the weekend are so important. We now know that Marvel is shooting the show in Leeds, the UK.

The studio turned the city center into a Russian town where some of the action will happen. This element gives the story more down-to-earth spy vibes. The real conflict will be much bigger than that, of course. We’re looking at an intergalactic spy story, with one faction infiltrating the planet.

From the looks of it, the action in Leeds might be significant enough to have the main cast over in the UK. The Secret Invasion set photos and videos show Jackson, Mendelsohn, and Smulders, when it comes to the old MCU characters. And yes, it looks like Fury will have a big beard:

But plenty of images of Clarke’s mysterious MCU character have surfaced online. And we have no idea who the actress will play:

We expect Clarke and Coleman to play important MCU characters, but their MCU identities are yet to leak:

Then there’s a mysterious blond actress taking a cab, as seen below:

Set photos aside, we still have no idea how long it will take Marvel to finish shooting Secret Invasion. Or how long it will take until the show hits Disney Plus.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.