Secret invasion is almost there. The next Marvel TV series — the first episodic TV show to launch on Disney Plus in 10 months — launches on the streaming service Wednesday, June 21. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll be dying to dive into the series’ first Nick Fury-led Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project.
So we guess you’re wondering which MCU movies and shows you need to watch to understand Secret invasionPremise and overarching story. Below we’ve rounded up five of the most important Marvel films – plus two other productions that contain key MCU plot points – for streaming ahead of the next Marvel Phase 5 project.
Before reading any further, be sure to read our Spoiler-Free Secret invasion Watch the first two episodes to find out if it really is the reassuring victory Marvel needs right now. When you’re done, secretly browse through this list to see which must-see MCU movies and TV series Secret invasion it has been published.
Full spoilers follow for several MCU movies and TV shows set to be released between 2008 and 2023. Continue at your own risk.
Iron Man (2008)
The movie that started Marvel’s cinema juggernaut iron man is our first encounter with Samuel L. Jackson’s live-action version of the confident Nick Fury. Okay, so the SHIELD director at the time doesn’t play a huge role here, but iron manInclusion in this list is important to the other film and television show entries that follow.
Fury appears in the film’s post-credits scene – a calling card that would become synonymous with every MCU film from now on – and is featured in a crowd-favorite cameo. Emerging from the shadows in Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) living room, Fury informs everyone’s favorite billionaire playboy philanthropist that Iron Man isn’t the only “superhero alive.” Fury also teases something called “The Avengers Initiative,” which nicely leads us to…
The Avengers (2012)
After appearing in other Phase 1 films in the MCU, such as Thor And Captain America: The First AvengerFury got a bigger share of the spotlight at the first crossover movie event in MCU history.
Fury helps lead Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in their fight against the power-mad Loki and his Chitauri army, bringing equal parts bravery and vital leadership. It’s Fury who brings the Avengers back together after the great loss they suffer at Loki’s hands – the Asgardian trickster also murders Agent Coulson – midway through the film.
It is also Fury who puts the UN Security Council in its place over the threat that the Avengers themselves pose to the world’s population – something that is coming true Avengers: Age of Ultron. Still, I had to chuckle when I heard Fury’s hard-hitting reaction to her (then) concerns, showing he had the guts to take down his overpowered charges.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
At least that was the case until the idealistic Steve Rogers clashed with Fury in 2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Unwilling to give up his beliefs about what a free world is, Rogers argues against Fury’s (and vicariously SHIELD as a whole) vision of protecting the world through the lens of fear. “This isn’t freedom, this is fear,” Rogers famously says after Fury introduced the former to Project Insight, a trio of satellite-linked helicopters whose long-range weapons can stop any terrorist, criminal, or intergalactic threat before it begins. Or says Fury before HYDRA – who infiltrated SHIELD decades earlier – gets their hands on them, but that’s a story for another time.
Captain America 2 In the end, Fury was the first MCU film in which he played a significant supporting role. Sure, he played his part The AvengersBut The Winter Soldier was the Marvel film that showcased his impressive skills (including avoiding capture from an overturned jeep) as well as his character’s obvious flaws. These were so arrogant and single-minded in their ambitions that he failed to notice the enemy within his own walls. in summary, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the film that saw Fury evolve from a primarily supporting background character into a full-fledged, three-dimensional actor in Marvel’s cinematic playground.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
After The Winter Soldier, Fury spent the next few years hiding in the MCU. Aside from a brief appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultronthe former boss of SHIELD, has been absent from many Earth-based films, including the disastrous breakup of the Avengers Captain America: Civil War.
That was until the universe-shattering events of Avengers: Infinity War, However. After successfully acquiring all six Infinity Stones, Thanos (Josh Brolin) snaps his fingers and wipes out half of all life in the MCU. Unfortunately, Fury is one of the billionaire victim list of the Mad Titan. In a mid-credits stinger, we see Fury – and deputy Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) – watch in horror as planes fall out of the sky, cars crash into each other and people start fading from life. It’s not long before Hill and Fury are also reduced to ashes by Thanos’ disastrous finger-snapping, but not before Fury uses a certain pager to seek help from one of Earth’s most powerful beings. Who is that exactly? So…
Captain Marvel (2019)
With 2019 Captain Marvel Set in the early ’90s, Jackson was able to reprise his role as Fury – albeit aged by VFX – and play a huge role in the plot of this film.
Of all the films on our list, Captain MarvelThe MCU debut is the most important thing to pre-stream.Secret invasion. The Marvel Phase 3 film is the first to also introduce the Skrulls, an alien race of shapeshifters who are largely the main antagonists of Secret invasion (It’s more complicated, but saying much more would ruin the series’ narrative.)
As much as Captain Marvel offered the titular superhero a path into the MCU, then he settled in too Secret invasionThe key story strikes. Likewise, we get enough information about Fury’s backstory, including the events that led to him forming SHIELD and starting The Avengers Initiative, how he lost his left eye, and why he was one of the Skrulls’ closest allies until recently was.
Once you’ve seen these five films – here’s how to watch all the Marvel films in order – you might want to know more details about Fury and the Skrulls Secret invasion. Below are two bonus productions available to stream for added context:
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
At first glance, it looks like Fury has been brought back Avengers: Endgame when the supergroup reversed the effects of Thanos’ finger snapping – plays a small but important role in the second Spider-Man film set in the MCU.
But there is more here than meets the eye. As we learn in one of the film’s post-credits scenes, the Nick Fury and Maria Hill who made cameo appearances throughout are not the Fury and Hill we know after all. Instead, it’s the Skrulls named Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and his wife Soren (Sharon Blynn) who have been posing as the couple on Earth for some time.
Okay, where are the real Fury and Hill? Until Secret invasionWe’re not sure where the latter is located. However, Fury oversees the formation of a new organization in the final seconds of the second post-credits Stinger. Titled SABER, Fury’s new endeavor involves an intergalactic space force scouring the universe in search of anything that might pose a threat to Earth (that would have been really handy in the end). eternal, eh, Nick?). This is the last time we see Fury Secret invasionto.
WandaVision (2022)
Okay if Fury doesn’t show up WandaVision – one of best marvel phase 4 projects – or why should it be included in the last entry of our list (see below)?
Yes, you guessed it, it has everything to do with it WandaVisionis the mid-credits scene. During the Westview reconnaissance following the magical battle between Wanda and Agatha Harkness, SWORD agent Monica Rambeau – who is given her own superpowers on the show – is approached by a mysterious person. This character asks Monica to follow her to Westview’s ruined theater for a debriefing of her mission.
Once they are alone, the agent turns out to be a Skrull. They tell Monica that “he’d like to meet you” before pointing to the sky. Essentially, the unnamed Skrull refers to Fury wanting to meet Monica and recruit her from SABER. We know this happens because The wonders, the final MCU film of 2023, whose first trailer showed Monica working for Fury and SABER. So that’s how it works WandaVision And The wonders bind in Secret invasionbilled as the first official Marvel crossover event (although, as noted, The Avengers The movie might have something to say about that).
For more Marvel coverage, check out our guide to the best Marvel movies. Alternatively, find out everything we know Loki Season 2 ahead of launch in October 2023.