I Can’t Believe Marvel Missed A Chance To Adapt 1 Comic Story That Could Have Redeemed The MCU’s Worst Release (But I Think They Can Still Pull It Off)

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Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion series wasted many opportunities for Nick Fury’s first solo MCU storyline, but I think there’s still a way that Marvel can redeem these mistakes. Marvel has made many mistakes over the course of the 17-year history of the MCU, but its treatment of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury might be one of the worst. Fury has been in the MCU since the very beginning, and he’s been one of my favorite characters in the franchise for just as long, which makes his recent live-action storylines even more disappointing.

Samuel L. Jackson first appeared as Nick Fury, the then-Director of SHIELD, in Iron Man’s post-credits scene, where he approached Tony Stark in his Malibu mansion and teased the formation of the Avengers. Fury has been central to the development of the MCU since then, and I especially loved seeing his connection to Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff develop. Unfortunately, Nick Fury’s more recent storylines haven’t been as enjoyable, but I think Marvel Studios can still adapt one wild comic storyline to finally redeem Nick Fury in the MCU.

Secret Invasion Is Arguably The MCU’s Most Wasted Adaptation

Secret Invasion Was Nick Fury’s First Solo MCU Project

While Nick Fury made appearances in eleven MCU movies in the Infinity Saga, it wasn’t until June 2023 that he embarked on his first solo storyline. Secret Invasion brought Fury back to Earth from his hideout on SABER to deal with a Skrull rebellion led by Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik. I loved parts of Secret Invasion, specifically Olivia Colman’s MCU debut, G’iah’s evolution into the Super Skrull and the exploration of Nick Fury’s personal life, but, overall, the Phase 5 series was a serious disappointment.

Secret Invasion was a massive missed opportunity to give Nick Fury an all-out, action-packed story in the MCU. 2008’s Secret Invasion in Marvel Comics explored a global war between the world’s heroes and invading Skrull forces, led by their Queen, Veranke. Marvel’s ground-level, quiet, subdued and espionage-based Secret Invasion series on Disney+ completely avoided including any exciting action sequences. I want Nick Fury to be brought back to the MCU to get a more substantive storyline, and I think I know which one would be perfect for Fury’s Multiverse Saga trajectory.

1 Nick Fury Comic Storyline Could Have Been Perfect For The Multiverse Saga & The Character

Marvel Comics’ Nick Fury Saw Huge Changes In 2014

One of my favorite Nick Fury storylines in Marvel Comics was explored in 2014’s Original Sin #8, in which Fury was transformed into the Unseen by the Watchers. This was an act of punishment carried out by the Watchers, who cursed Fury to watch over Earth as a chained silent observer, never allowed to intervene. This enhanced Fury into a haunting cosmic figure in Marvel Comics, and I think it would make sense for Marvel Studios to bring this storyline into live-action, especially since Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury isn’t without sin.

The Watchers, specifically Jeffrey Wright’s Uatu, have had a crucial role in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga as the central characters of Marvel Studios’ animated What If…? series. I reckon this series has perfectly set up the Watchers for a return to the live-action MCU, which makes me think they could easily cross paths with Nick Fury and cast their punishment on him. After his many MCU appearances and even more mistakes, I would love to see the Watchers turn Nick Fury into the Unseen, and this evolution could have made one superhero team’s debut make much more sense.

Nick Fury’s Unseen Forming The Exiles Would Have Made More Sense

The Exiles Debuted In What If…? Season 3

In the animated What If…? series, it was Captain Carter who formed her own version of the Exiles team in season 3’s epic double-finale. This team, comprising Captain Carter, Kahhori, Storm’s Goddess of Thunder and Byrdie, the child of Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck, were incredibly powerful, even more so after they were enhanced with the powers of the Watchers. In Marvel Comics, however, it wasn’t Captain Carter who formed the Exiles, but Nick Fury actually brought together multiversal heroes to form a version of the team after he was transformed into the Unseen.

This broke the vow of non-interference, which I can easily imagine Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury doing in the MCU. Having Nick Fury bring together an Exiles team would also mirror his activities during the MCU’s Phase 1, which saw Fury gradually bring together the original Avengers team. After the disappointment of Secret Invasion, I would love to see Nick Fury have a more central role in the Multiverse Saga by forming a team of multiversal heroes and be empowered into the Unseen – a worthy story for one of the MCU’s original fan-favorite characters.

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