SPOILER ALERT: This story incorporates spoilers for Marvel’s “Secret Invasion,” now streaming on Disney+.

Marvel’s “Secret Invasion,” a six-episode occasion Sequence on Disney+, ended Wednesday with a 37-minute finale that wrapped up the MCU’s first standalone story centered on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury.

Ali Selim, an govt producer, directed all six episodes of the present, which tailored a preferred Marvel Comics run that performs on the viewers’s paranoia. “Secret Invasion” asks what it if the characters you thought you knew and liked have been as a substitute alien invaders — a.okay.a. Skrulls, an alien race launched in 2019’s “Captain Marvel” — posing as them? Then, because the present’s tagline wonders, “Who do you belief?”

Forward of “Secret Invasion’s” premiere episode, Selim informed Selection that if he, just like the Skrulls, might shape-shift into any Marvel character, he’d wish to turn out to be Nick Fury. Because the architect behind the Avengers initiative, Jackson’s character has loomed giant over the MCU since he first appeared within the post-credits scene for 2008’s “Iron Man,” however his backstory has largely gone unexplored. Thus, Selim’s goals for the spy thriller have been easy: He hoped to current Fury’s “perplexing and resonant inside life.”

Whereas the sequence appears to have achieved that purpose — by introducing Fury’s spouse Priscilla (Charlayne Woodard), who was revealed to be a Skrull operative named Varra, for instance — different points have confirmed much less standard (i.e. the present’s A.I.-generated opening credit sequence, designed by Methodology Studios to underline the present’s “shape-shifting” plot, however divided followers on social media.) Although Selim was open to all critiques, reporters have been instructed to not ask about A.I. within the interviews carried out Wednesday after the episode aired.

The tightly-packed finale focuses on “the final stand of the nice Nick Fury,” a phrase that Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) — the present’s villain and the chief of the Skrull rise up — bellows when the 2 males face off one final time. It’s a second that performs for top drama as Fury makes an attempt to squelch the rebellion with the assistance of MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman), Varra and G’iah (Emilia Clarke), daughter of Fury’s closest Skrull ally Talos (Ben Mendelsohn).

Their mission: discover a technique to separate U.S. President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) from his closest adviser, Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle, enjoying a Skrull named Raava, who has been posing as the person also called Conflict Machine for an undisclosed period of time) and cease the commander in chief from bombing a camp of Skrull refugees in Russia, which might begin a world battle.

The primary a part of the plan sees Fury and Sonya retrieve “The Harvest,” a set of the Avengers’ DNA from their world-saving faceoff in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” when superhuman blood spilled everywhere in the battle discipline. It seems that Gravik was among the many group Fury despatched to gather the specimens, and he wished to make use of it to create a race of Tremendous Skrulls. For half two of the plan, Fury will ship that vial — which, most significantly, incorporates Captain Marvel’s blood — to Gravik.

When Gravik activates the machine designed to infuse him (and an ailing Fury) with the superpowers, he shortly realizes he’s been outsmarted by way of a rigorously deliberate bait-and-switch, and he should struggle G’iah for Tremendous Skrull supremacy. Throughout the high-flying battle, the 2 superbeings show numerous Avengers abilities (together with these of Groot, the Hulk, Mantis, Drax, Thanos and his Black Order), with G’iah delivering the deadly blow by utilizing a Captain Marvel’s vitality.

In the meantime, the true Nick Fury corners President Ritson on the hospital the place he’s recovering from the insurgent Skrulls’ assault on his convoy in Episode 4, and convinces him that “Rhodey” is, actually, in league with Gravik and so they’re utilizing him to take over the world. A tense stand-off ends with Raava/Rhodey taking a bullet to the purple mind, revealing to the president that Skrulls have infiltrated the very best ranges of presidency.

The fallout is swift — President Ritson declares battle on all aliens, inciting widespread violence and forcing the Skrulls deeper into hiding. The transfer additionally brings G’iah (who now seems to be the MCU’s strongest being) into an alliance with Sonya as a way to shield her fellow refugees.

The episode ends with Fury heading again to the area station on S.A.B.E.R., resuming his mission to seek out the Skrulls a brand new dwelling. As he reunites with Varra, he mentions the prospect for renewed peace talks with their Kree enemies, setting the stage for “The Marvels,” which hits theaters in November.

On Wednesday afternoon, Selim joined Selection by way of Zoom from his dwelling in Portland, Oregon to debate the finale’s large reveals and his future within the MCU.

Now that the sequence finale has aired, how would you describe “Secret Invasion’s” total message? Is there a specific scene from the finale that underlines that for you?

The theme that me in these scripts and on this story was the theme of different. How will we confront the opposite in our neighborhood? How will we confront the opposite in ourselves? How will we reconcile love that doesn’t appear to suit right into a socially acceptable field? Sam Jackson and I had numerous conversations about that; Kingsley Ben-Adir and I had numerous conversations about that.

Finally, the scene that I pushed for and actually loved is when Nick Fury kisses Varra on the finish. That’s releasing the sense of “different” in himself that has been a constraint or a prejudice. It’s opening up the world to dialog, if not all out love and embracing. It’s the final scene of the sequence, and it actually seems like that’s what it’s about.

Is that this the season finale or sequence finale — what’s the language?

Oh, yeah, I’d say “season” finale. Who is aware of, proper?

Have you ever heard about Season 2? What do you know?

I don’t know something about Season 2. I believe there’s some nice threads that may very well be run down. However is there a Season 2? I don’t know.

Audiences have gotten conditioned to this concept of the “super-sized” season finale, however “Secret Invasion’s” episodes acquired shorter because the present went alongside. What was the imaginative and prescient for that?

“Imaginative and prescient” is a very large phrase, and I admire your utilizing it, but it surely’s actually simply sensible exploration and the sensible evolution of a narrative. It’s written a method; actors begin performing it and it turns into one thing barely completely different; and while you begin filming the performances, it turns into one thing barely completely different; after which while you go to edit it, you realign your self.

I don’t imply to make it sensible movie college stuff, however finally, you simply watch the cuts, and also you say, “That’s too lengthy.” “That’s unfocused.” “Regarded good on the web page, sounded good on the set, not serving to our story at this level.” And there’s additionally some sense of ramping as much as an explosive ending — which to my thoughts means you go sooner, not larger and bloatier.

That truthfully is sensible. However that has been one of many questions that’s been floated on-line — a critique, if you’ll — is why make this a TV sequence versus a film? Was a film framework ever mentioned? Possibly a TV film like “Werewolf by Evening”?

That’s an excellent query. By the point I got here on board, scripts have been written, and we have been speaking about six episodes. So, I don’t know. I do know that some level alongside the way in which “Armor Wars” shifted from a sequence to a film for numerous causes that I don’t know.

What have you ever manufactured from the response to the sequence total? As a result of opinions have been combined.

Oh, I don’t learn opinions. With all due respect. For me, I view all of the storytelling work I do as a dialogue with an viewers. When the present is completed and put up on the display screen, that’s my half of the dialogue. And the viewers then begins their half of the response to it. I believe that’s worthwhile, however I don’t know. I don’t know how one can reply the query.

I don’t really feel dangerous about combined opinions. If you happen to had unanimously good opinions, each film would gross $10 billion, trillion {dollars}, proper? [Projects] resonate with completely different individuals at completely different occasions for various causes, and Marvel has a really devoted — even rabid — fan base who’ve expectations and when their expectations aren’t fulfilled, they transfer within the different course; they provide it a thumbs down.

I don’t know — is it our job to satisfy their expectations? Or to inform the story that we’re telling? So, it’s a tough factor. I’d find it irresistible if all people liked it, however I additionally don’t have that expectation myself, so I really feel nice in regards to the response to it.

It’s a special story than Marvel has ever actually informed. Let’s dive into among the precise plot factors of the finale. One of many highlights was the large showdown between G’iah and Gravik — whose powers have been enhanced by the Avengers’ DNA. What is going to you keep in mind about working with Emilia and Kingsley on that struggle scene?

It’s attention-grabbing — they’re each stellar actors who convey numerous electrical energy and, in most cases, in very quiet methods. I’m deeply moved by among the subtlest decisions that Emilia Clarke makes. I believe she might do no fallacious.

If you get to a closely choreographed struggle scene or bombing sequence or an ambush sequence, it’s simply sort of enjoyable, proper? It’s actors being like, “OK, I don’t should convey it immediately. I simply should be a 12-year-old swinging from a rope.” So, there’s numerous enjoyable in these moments and there’s numerous hazard. However it’s not as emotionally important or emotionally resonant because the quiet second in Episode 5 the place she and Nick Fury mentioned Talos’ dying.

The struggle sequences turn out to be mathematical, mechanical, exact. “Did we get it?” “Sure.” “Transfer on.” It comes collectively later in edit, and then you definately congratulate your arithmetic and your mechanics; you don’t congratulate the emotional resonance.

I’ll ask you a nerdier query about that scene. This appears to be introducing G’iah’s Tremendous Skrull as Marvel’s new strongest being. How was it determined which Avengers’ powers she was going to get to indicate off?

Properly, merely put, it comes from Kevin Feige, who says, “It’s all honest recreation.” That’s greatest expressed within the second when Gravik takes the vial from Nick Fury, places it within the pc the place it’s analyzed, and we see all of the pure superpowers ever. That’s just like the second the place we’re like, “OK, that is going to be one thing.”

We storyboard these sequences for month. I had two storyboard artists engaged on it — Aaron Sows in L.A., who’s a Marvel fanatic, and Ian McCaffrey in Dublin, Eire, who is a bit more of a choreographer and fewer concerned within the MCU. And collectively, the 2 of them discovered a rhythm between superpowers that had that means and superpowers that had choreography and class. Then these storyboards go to stunts, and stunts work out that a few of these actions are unattainable to do. After which it goes to visible results [who] say, “I do know that is what we deliberate, but it surely appears to be like humorous, so let’s perhaps go from this arm to a special arm, as a result of we wish it to be extra elegant.”

So, the choices are Kevin Feige, then story after which simply practicality.

Inform me about Don Cheadle enjoying Raava and “Rhodey.” It’s talked about that Col. Rhodes has been held captive “for a very long time.” Was the hospital robe he’s sporting when Rhodey is rescued a touch that the Skrulls kidnapped him after his spinal wire harm in “Captain America: Civil Conflict?”

Yep.

What was it like working with Don on growing the deviations between Raava and “Rhodey” as he performed them each?

A whole lot of that’s Don Cheadle’s sensible sense of logic, specificity and appearing prowess.

The Raava factor was simply merely, there was a degree at first the place we have been designing the Skrulls and we made the remark “Would a Skrull decide a human that had its facial options?” If I appeared just a little bit like this as a Skrull, why would I am going into hiding and discover a human like that appeared sort of like me? So, we deviated from that and stated, what we now have to do is basically present that, in numerous cases, these individuals are hiding out in a human shell, and so they’re going to choose a very completely different race, a special age, and why not a special gender? Why couldn’t a feminine Skrull turn out to be a male [human]? And that’s the place that got here from — let’s simply be good about how they’re going into hiding.

From there, it was Don Cheadle [filling in] the small print of what that may imply to him. He’s sensible.

Do you’ve got one other MCU challenge you’d wish to direct?

Actually, I labored on the present for 28 months and proper now I’m simply enthusiastic about lunch and perhaps a motorbike trip or one thing like that. However I used to be deeply moved working with Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke, and this factor that’s left dangling on the finish of sixth [episode] is basically inspiring to me. So, we’ll see the place it goes.

This interview was edited and condensed.