The first reviews are in for Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” series, and with 31 reviews counted, the series sits at just 65% (6.9/10) on Rotten Tomatoes.
To put that in perspective, it’s one of the lowest-rated Marvel series, on par with Netflix’s “The Punisher” series at 64% though ahead of “Iron Fist” (37%) and “Inhumans” (11%).
However, it sits behind everything else, including the next nearest “The Defenders” (78%) and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (80%). It’s far from shows like “Loki,” “Ms. Marvel,” “WandaVision,” “Daredevil” and “Hawkeye” which all scored in the 90%+ range.
The reaction is a little better at Metacritic, where it landed a 67/100 – still mixed, but on par with shows like “The Night Agent” (68), “Bupkis” (67) and “Rabbit Hole” (66).
Only the first two episodes of the series were released for media to review. Here’s a sampling of quotes:
“For now, ‘Secret Invasion’ looks very much like its own beast, a genuine serial story within the lumbering Marvel apparatus. One wonders if, like the villainous creatures at its center, it’ll end up revealing its true form, but for now, its humanity makes for a pretty good look.” – Daniel D’Addario, Variety
“As one of the MCU’s most mature projects to date, Secret Invasion is a riveting, tense drama that gifts its actors with weighty material and encourages its audience to look beyond the sheen of superheroism.” – Richard Newby, Empire
“Jackson used to bring a raffish pizzaz to even his darker parts. Here, he seems as fed up with the Marvel formula as a growing segment of the audience.” – Ed Power, Telegraph
“For the most part, Secret Invasion is more dour and even dull than one might expect from its John le Carré/Graham Greene trappings.” – Dan Fienberg, THR
“Despite a meandering start, chilling spy story Secret Invasion breaks free from the Marvel mould, promising to be an exciting chapter with a stand-out turn from a wildly entertaining Olivia Colman.” – Emily Murray, Total Film
“The bar has been raised so high in terms of what genre fans should expect from streaming shows that Secret Invasion itself feels a little late. The scripts are flabby, the visuals uninspired.” – Meghan O’Keefe, Decider
“The Marvel Cinematic Universe still has the ability to produce great stories (case in point being She-Hulk, a truly unique time), but stories like this one take themselves too seriously. A series such as this one, where there are none of the traditional heroes from the other parts of the MCU, could benefit greatly from a story less convoluted that invites the performers to have more time to ground their characters.” – Tyler Doster, Awards Watch
The six-episode “Secret Invasion” will kick off on the Disney+ service on June 21st.
