Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion has ended with mixed reviews and disappointing scores on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. But despite these poor reviews, its director, Ali Selim, seems not to care at all.
Secret Invasion is the first standalone series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that tells the story of Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson. It features six episodes, but its season finale, Home, received poor reception, with only a 13% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it the most “rotten” MCU series.
In an interview with Variety, Selim was asked about his reaction to Secret Invasion’s mixed reviews. “I don’t read reviews. With all due respect,” he said.
For the director, a show’s storytelling is more important as he sees it as a “dialogue with an audience.” “When the show is finished and put up on the screen, that's my half of the dialogue. And the audience then starts their half of the response to it,” he continued. “I think that's valuable, but I don't know. I don't know how to answer the question."
Selim furthered he doesn’t feel bad about Secret Invasion’s mixed reviews. Knowing how the fans work, he understands that not every project will be a favorite. There will always be someone who won’t like a show and will give it a bad review.
He explained:
If you had unanimously good reviews, every movie would gross $10 billion, trillion dollars, right? [Projects] resonate with different people at different times for different reasons, and Marvel has a very devoted — even rabid — fan base who have expectations, and when their expectations aren't fulfilled, they move in the other direction; they give it a thumbs down.
Selim admitted he found it tricky to please the audience. So, he’s unsure if their job is to fulfill the fans’ expectations or tell the story they want. Though it will be much better if people will love their shows, he doesn’t expect it always to happen.
I would love it if everybody loved it, but I also don't have that expectation myself, so I feel great about the response to it.
Secret Invasion’s Low Rotten Tomatoes Score
Secret Invasion broke three unwanted Rotten Tomatoes records for the MCU. The first is the critics’ score of 57%, followed by the final episode’s score of 13%, becoming the most rotten MCU series.
It also drew a slew of mixed reviews for failing to be the “Marvel for adults” despite having a darker and more mature tone and was criticized for its slow-paced storytelling. However, many praised Jackson’s performance and the MCU newcomer Olivia Colman, who played the role of MI6 Special Agent Sonya Falsworth.
Marvel Studios has yet to announce whether Secret Invasion Season 2 will happen. Alternatively, Selim doesn’t know if the show will be renewed, though he teased that “some great threads could run down.” All episodes of Secret Invasion are now streaming on Disney+.
