Summary
Secret Invasionwas truly an MCU project to forget, but it seems to have inadvertently made the franchise better. The Disney+ series' mixed-to-negative reception possibly led to a creative overhaul withinMarvel Studiosthat arguably changed the future of their movies and TV series.
The six-episode MCU miniseries premiered in June 2023 and revolved aroundNick Furyand Talos, a shapeshifting alien Skrull, as they pursue a conspiracy by renegade Skrulls attempting to take control of Earth by impersonating humans.Secret Invasionwas plagued by numerous issues in its writing, VFX, andoverall poor pacing. But more importantly, some of its plot points created problems for the rest of the MCU – most notably, the infamous Skrull Rhodey twist.
Secret InvasionFallout Leads to Big Changes
Armor WarsScript Undergoes Major Revisions
According to arecent report from industry insider DanielRPK, the script forArmor Warsis undergoing massive revisions due to the backlash fromSecret Invasion. First announced in September 2022,theArmor Warsfilmwas originally pitched as a story following James Rhodes, aka War Machine, as he safeguarded Stark Industries from rivals trying to exploit Tony Stark’s tech legacy. However, according to the recent rumor, the new story will be entirely different from this original pitch, and the film’s release date is expected to be pushed from this year to sometime afterSecret Wars.
This is just the latest in a long line ofchanges to theArmor Warsproject. It was previously switched from a six-episode TV series to a feature-length movie.Speaking toTVLinein October 2024about this format shift, Don Cheadle shared:
Yeah. I think the word that’s the most salient in that sentence is “switched.” [Laughs] I don’t know, I’m not sure where anything is right now. I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what it is.
Perhaps budget constraints – mainly from dealing with Tony Stark’s armors and the overarching story – proved overwhelming for the smaller screen. Moreover, there was also an option to adapt anArmor Warsstoryline set during theSecret Wars2015 comic event.
HowSecret InvasionCreates Problems ForArmor Wars
Will Marvel Acknowledge The Skrull Rhodey Twist?
Secret Invasionties into theArmor Warsproblem byreplacing Rhodey with a Skrull impersonator. While the show itself didn’t live up to its potential or create a significant impact on the MCU, this character change complicates things for the franchise. For example, Rhodey’s post-Endgameappearances will now have to be thoroughly analyzed, andArmor Warsmay need to address and explain these inconsistencies.
It will be interesting to see whether Marvel Studios chooses to explore the fallout from the Skrull Rhodey twist or simply ignore much ofSecret Invasion’s events due to its failure. Made on a whopping $212 million budget, the miniseries was both a critical and financial disaster. While it did experience decent viewership numbers, it still wasn’t enough to sustain the project, especially in the long run. Reports suggest thatSecret Invasionwas plagued by production issues, behind-the-scenes drama, and the aftermath involved firing some key figures.
Marvel SplitsArmor WarsElements Into New Projects
Rhodey’s Story Changed After Skrull Twist
HadArmor Warsstuck to its original storyline of Rhodey discovering that Stark technology was falling into the wrong hands, it would have connected better to the rest of the MCU and its plans. For example,Riri Williams, aka Ironheart,could have played a major role. There was even potential for the return of Ultron and a storyline involving Damage Control reactivating Stark AI systems. However, withSecret Invasiondisrupting this setup byintroducing Skrull Rhodey, Marvel had to rethink the entire premise of the film.
The changes are already evident in some recent Marvel projects, such asWhat If…?Season 3. Episode 5, titled “What If… The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?” repurposed elements of theArmor Warsstoryline. It featured a version of Earth where Mysterio takes control of Stark Industries and weaponizes Iron Man tech. Meanwhile, the storyline involving Stark AI systems and thepotential return of James Spader as Ultronwill likely be explored in thenewly announcedVision Quest, expected to release in 2026 or 2027. Considering how these story elements have been split across other existing/announced projects, there’s no reason for Marvel to move forward with the originalArmor Warspitch.
Fewer Projects, More Focus On Quality Control
But how is this a good thing for Marvel Studios? The franchise has been overwhelming audiences with content, especially in itspost-Endgameera. PerhapsSecret Invasion’s failure forced Marvel to rethink and scale back its output. In 2024, Marvel released just one MCU movie,Deadpool & Wolverine, and the strategy clearly paid off, considering the film’s financial and critical success. Moving forward, Marvel is limiting itself to two or three movies per year and fewer Disney+ series to maintain better quality control.
The change in approach also applies to many Marvel projects that were never officially announced but gained traction through unconfirmed leaks and insider reports. For example, rumors suggested thatEmilia Clarke’s G’iah fromSecret Invasionwas originally set to appear in anExcaliburspin-off, a British Avengers-style team that would have included Captain Britain and Kit Harington’s Black Knight. However, givenSecret Invasion’s failure, this project was either shelved indefinitely or quietly canceled.
Doomsday&Secret WarsAre MCU Priority #1
Non-Essential Shows Could Be Revived InX-MenEra
This aligns with Marvel’s current pattern of de-prioritizing projects that aren’t essential to the mainAvengers: DoomsdayandSecret Warsstoryline. This is ultimately a good thing for the MCU, as these projects aren’t completely scrapped. They may be revived down the line when Marvel shifts its focus toX-Menstories afterSecret Wars. They’re better off waiting alongside other concepts likeMidnight Suns, which could provide a new home for characters like Black Knight andMahershala Ali’s Blade.
The upcomingDaredevil: Born Againappears to be the first major project produced under Marvel’s updated TV strategy. Meanwhile, shows likeIronheartseem to have been developed under the old, rushed system, making it uncertain how they will fare. While it’s disappointing to see projects likeArmor Warsbeing pushed further, Marvel’s restructuring could ultimately lead to better-quality content in the long run.
