New Marvel Series ‘Secret Invasion’ Hits Disney+ This Week; What to Stream to Catch Up
It can be hard to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days. There’s seemingly a new Marvel show or movie to watch every couple of months, and this week the latest installment in the franchise heads to streaming on Disney+ when “Secret Invasion” premieres on Wednesday, June 21.
In “Secret Invasion,” Nick Fury and Talos discover a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. They’re planted in top positions of corporations and governments the world over, and now it’s up to Fury to ensure they don’t succeed in carrying out their plans for the world.
Fury has been the throughline of the MCU ever since “Iron Man” first came to theaters in 2008. He’s the connecting thread that holds the universe together, so fans will have to travel back pretty far in Marvel history to watch every title they’ll need to see to be completely caught up for “Secret Invasion.”
What Titles Will Fans Need to Watch to be Ready for ‘Secret Invasion’?
‘Iron Man’
The MCU film that started it all, “Iron Man” features Fury for the briefest of cameos during an end-credits scene. But it’s a highly consequential scene to everything that follows in the Marvel universe, so why not start at the beginning?
Iron Man
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
‘The Avengers’
The culmination of Fury’s efforts to bring together a team of gifted individuals to protect the world from threats it has never encountered before does not exactly go as planned, at least not initially. This movie is key to understanding what motivates Nick Fury, and the sense of responsibility he feels toward the entire planet.
The Avengers
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’
Fury’s position as director of S.H.I.E.L.D is put into peril, as a secret threat from inside the organization could bring it down, and the Avengers along with it. It’s a key part of Fury’s storyline and separates the life he’d always known from what comes next.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’
Another movie where Fury doesn’t have a big role, as he essentially appears onscreen only to be snapped out of existence by Thanos. Still, “The Blip” (as it’s called in-universe) has lasting implications for Fury.
Avengers: Infinity War
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
‘Captain Marvel’
This is the absolute key film to watch to understand what’s going on in “Secret Wars.” It details how Fury became involved with the Skrulls in the first place, his relationship with Talos, and just how much of a threat this secretive race of aliens really is.
Captain Marvel
The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Bonus Film: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
This one isn’t exactly necessary to understand “Secret Wars,” but it does feature a hefty dose of Nick Fury…sort of. As the film reveals, it turns out Fury has been spending a lot of time off-world, leaving Talos behind to pose as the superspy and fulfill his duties while he’s away.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
When Spider-Man’s secret identity is revealed, Peter Parker asks Doctor Strange to help him regain his anonymity with a magic spell. But when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man faces a battle against a rogue’s gallery from his past. As the emotional toll grows, Peter must face the most difficult choice of his life.
The film is a delight for anyone who’s followed the Spider-saga since its cinematic beginnings. Be sure to watch the original “Spider-Man” series with Tobey Maguire and the “Amazing Spider-Man” series with Andrew Garfield to fully appreciate this crowd-pleaser.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”