Secret Invasion Gives The Vulnerable Nick Fury That Avengers: Endgame Failed To Show
Marvel's latest Disney+ series "Secret Invasion" delivers a dark and bleak spy thriller as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) confronts his most personal mission yet. With an army of elusive Skrull invaders hiding in plain sight, a dangerous rebellion begins. "Secret Invasion" centers on Fury after five harrowing years away where he was one of the many victims of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) devastating snap. The series also dives into the leader's emotional core that was previously unexplored in other installments, notably the seismic film "Avengers: Endgame."
Without any Avengers around, Fury shines as the formidable founder who started it all. He searches for identity in his return to Earth alongside the dangerous invaders lurking around every corner. "Secret Invasion" consistently plays with the audience's perception and even changes how we see one MCU hero forever in Episode 1.
Jackson was thrilled to finally have Fury at the forefront of the project and feels the television format fits the sprawling story far better than a film could as he told The Hollywood Reporter, "And it becomes a very human and interesting sort of trip with this guy that we've been waiting to find out more about all this time."
The additional room for exploration allows for Fury's multifaceted depiction, especially after his traumatic time away, as Jackson continued, "He is very different by the time he comes back after being blipped away for [five] years. He's not as confident and not as impervious to danger as he used to be."
Fury's relationships help showcase his underlying vulnerability
Thankfully, Nick Fury has more than a few reliable friends to support him, which also allows him to express his more vulnerable side. After the unimaginable loss of core Avengers member Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in "Avengers: Endgame," Fury is understandably and irrevocably changed, which we see the result of in "Secret Invasion."
Samuel L. Jackson shared his insights with The Hollywood Reporter about exploring the aftermath of her sacrifice which allowed that vulnerability to finally shine through, "When Natasha [Black Widow] died, there was a place for it there, because she was the person who was closest to him. For Fury, the most precious person among all the Avengers was her. They had the best relationship."
That sentiment continues with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, who even became Jackson's good friend in real life. Fury became close with the cosmic-powered pilot in her self-titled debut film, where the character emotionally developed even more before Natasha's untimely death. He continued with THR, "And when that [opportunity to show vulnerability] wasn't a part of it, now we move into how he feels about Carol Danvers [Brie Larson]. There's something interesting about Nick Fury and the relationships he has with women in the MCU, as opposed to the guys. Even his relationship with Sonya is very different."
Though he may have a complex relationship with Special Agent Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Coleman), she may actually know more than she's letting on about the rebel Skrulls as their first meeting hints at her true nature.