Marvel’s six-episode event series “Secret Invasion” came to a close on Wednesday, and with it has come a wave of bad reviews, strong online reaction and questions regarding its impact on the future of the MCU.
Ali Selim, an executive producer on the series who directed all six episodes of its run, has been giving interviews about it recently and has answered some of those questions along with responding to the backlash.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “SECRET INVASION” FINALE
The series ends with several key elements still unknown, and plot threads dangling that could come back at another time. One is that Emilia Clarke’s G’iah is now out there in the world as a Super Skrull, imbued with the combined powers of the Avengers, Guardians and more – including Carol Danvers.
Meanwhile both Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) have been revealed as having been prisoners of the Skrulls, Rhodes in particular would appear to have been captive and held in suspended animation for years.
Asked by Variety if this was a season finale or series finale, Selim says:
“Oh, yeah, I would say ‘season’ finale. Who knows, right? I don’t know anything about Season 2. I think there’s some great threads that could be run down. But is there a Season 2? I have no idea.”
The series clocks in at 272 minutes, but that includes nearly half an hour of end credits and around 20 minutes for the recap and opening credits in total. All in, the series actually runs at just over three-and-a-half hours. With a little trim, why not make it a movie?
That’s a great question. By the time I came on board, scripts were written, and we were talking about six episodes. So, I don’t know. I do know that some point along the way ‘Armor Wars’ shifted from a series to a movie for various reasons that I don’t know.”
Asked about all the mixed reviews to the series and outright negative reviews to the finale, he says:
“Oh, I don’t read reviews. With all due respect. For me, I view all the storytelling work I do as a dialogue with an audience. When the show is finished and put up on the screen, that’s my half of the dialogue. And the audience then starts their half of the response to it. I think that’s valuable, but I don’t know. I don’t know how to answer the question.”
Asked if the hospital gown Col. Rhodes was wearing when he was rescued indicated he’d been held since he got his spinal cord injury in “Captain America: Civil War,” Selim answered a straightforward “Yep.” He added to ComicBook.com:
“I think his legs not working in the end of episode six and him being in the hospital gown points to [Captain America: Civil War]. And, from there, does it have to be definitive, or is it more fun for the audience to go back and revisit every moment, every Rhodey moment and look at it with a different lens now that they think, ‘Oh, he might’ve been a Skrull there.’ And make the decision for themselves, or it’ll be answered in Armor Wars.”
The full six-episode run of “Secret Invasion” is now available on the Disney+ service.