Secret Invasion: Ali Selim Showcases Nick Fury's Humanity In A Darker Side Of Life - Exclusive Interview
It's been quite some time since Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has been heavily featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Aside from a post-credits scene in 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War," he's been virtually absent from recent projects following his disappearance in the Blip — that is, until now. In the latest MCU mini series "Secret Invasion," he's back on Earth to help fight a villainous sector of Skrulls, led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir).
Directing the six episodes of MCU's newest addition is Ali Selim, who was excited to bring to life a fresh perspective of everyone's favorite Avengers founder. While past projects showcase Fury in a tough as nails sort of way, Selim promises that "Secret Invasion" viewers will enjoy a more human side to Fury.
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Selim shares details on bringing to life an older, wiser version of Fury, whether or not there was pressure to get that right, and what attracted him to "Secret Invasion" in the first place.
A unique MCU project
To start, I'd love to hear how you came to be involved with "Secret Invasion," and what attracted you to the show in the first place.
Kyle Bradstreet created a great series that was part of the MCU, but very different from the MCU. When I first read the early pages, I discovered themes of distrust and paranoia and suspicion, all of which are very interesting to me, because they connect to the darker side of life on Earth. This catalyst into this story is a human being with boots on the group, Nick Fury [Samuel L. Jackson]. It's not a superhero, it's not a fantasy. It felt grounded and connected to the way we live on Earth, and those are exciting topics for me. The fact that Nick Fury, Sam Jackson, is older, and that they're honoring that in the script so that we could also explore themes of wisdom, and an older man who'd maybe lost his step, who was trying to gain his step back to continue his purpose on Earth, [are] all very interesting to me, because it puts the story in more of a gray area than the binary world of good versus evil. Everybody in this story is a little bit of both, and that's a more nuanced story to tell. That's why I was excited about it.
"Secret Invasion," it basically continues the story of Nick Fury after the Blip. Was there any pressure going into that to get it right?
Honestly, I don't feel any pressure, ever. It's a great story to tell and we find the best way to tell it. Marvel didn't put any pressure on me. Nick Fury didn't put any pressure on me. If the fans are going to put pressure on me, they can come and find me, but I didn't really feel any pressure. I felt like this was a really interesting character to explore. Sam and I said on several occasions that being lost in the Blip and coming back in search of your place and purpose was really not unlike the lockdown in the pandemic. We were extracted from humanity and then, suddenly, we're back in it. We had a lot of connection to that topic, and it became more playful and interesting than it was pressure on how to fit into the MCU.
Telling the best possible story
[With] a lot of shows, it's a slow build with the drama and action. It might take one or two episodes to really get going with everything big, but yours definitely doesn't do that. You got action in the first couple of minutes. Can you talk about the decision to take that direction?
Somebody used the word earlier this morning — it has a very classical pace, because it is in that world of film noir and psychology and internal questions. Nobody wants to watch that because, if you just tell that story, it's a man sitting, thinking, and that's not very interesting. Within this, not only the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but filmed entertainment, you have to find the octane. You have to find the movement, because movies move. It's less of a decision, though, at the end of the day, and it's more, how do you best tell this story? How do you best thrill audiences and access these themes and present them in a way that's accessible and interesting?
Going off of that, there are so many streaming platforms now, so many options of different shows to watch. What sets this apart from the rest?
That's an interesting question, but it's a question for somebody not sitting in the director's chair. My job is always to find the story and tell the story in the most compelling way. How that cuts out from the clutter, if you want to call it that, or how that lands with audiences, that's really the dialogue that audiences are going to have with it. If I have worried about the outcome more than the process or the product, I failed at my job. My job is to say, "Here's Nick Fury. Here's his goal. What's the emotional truth in that? How do we best present it?" We hope that audiences embrace it or are thrilled by it, but I'm sure there's somebody above my pay grade who can tell you how it's going to fit into the bigger picture.
"Secret Invasion" is now available for streaming on Disney+.
This interview has been edited for clarity.