Summary
Despite its intriguing premise and a commanding lead performance from Samuel. L Jackson, Marvel Studios’Secret Invasionreceived mixed reviews, prompting series director Ali Selim to address them.
Based on the comic of the same name,Secret Invasionfollows an alien invasion on Earthinvolving shape-shifting Skrullsinfiltrating positions of power worldwide. The six-episode, $212 million series is currently theMCU’s lowest-rated show on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 56%, as no single episode reached 60% or above — the positive or “fresh” status.
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In a recent interview withVariety, Selim, who directed all sixSecret Invasionepisodes, reacted to the mixed reviews from fans and critics from a somewhat different perspective. “I don’t feel bad about mixed reviews,” he said. “If you had unanimously good reviews, every movie would gross $10 billion, trillion dollars, right? [Projects] resonate with different people at different times for different reasons, and Marvel has a very devoted — even rabid — fan base who have expectations and when their expectations aren’t fulfilled, they move in the other direction; they give it a thumbs down.”
TheSecret Invasionfinale, in particular, received the most backlash from fans, as many felt it abandoned its espionage, slow-burn story for a rushed episode that concluded with a generic fight scene with no stakes. TheSecret Invasionepisode currently sits at 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. “I don’t know — is it our job to fulfill their expectations? Or to tell the story that we’re telling? So, it’s a tricky thing. I would love it if everybody loved it, but I also don’t have that expectation myself, so I feel great about the response to it,” Selim added.
Although his comments regarding the overall fan base and their devotion to the entire MCU ring true, it’s not guaranteed that every superhero film that has received great — or generally favorable — reviews earns big at the box office. While restrained by the pandemic, James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squadwas considered a box office disappointment, as it only racked up $168.7 million on a $185 budget, despite its rave reviews. Andthis year’sThe Flash, while certainly flawed, was met with decent reviews and included the return of fan-favorite characters, but is now considered one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.
With a promising second season ofLokiand an acclaimed director in Nia DaCosta helmingThe Marvels, let’s hope the MCU can find its footing again and get back to producing consistently good — or above-average — projects.
