‘Secret Invasion’ director Ali Selim on a “vulnerable” Nick Fury, plus show’s superpower-filled finale

(SPOILERS AHEAD) Marvel’s Secret Invasion wrapped up Wednesday, July 26, and executive producer and director Ali Selim is ready to spill some secrets. 

The show saw some fan favorites die, like Cobie Smulders‘ Maria Hill, and others whose apparent heel turns were due to being impersonated by shape-shifting aliens in disguise. 

For Selim, however, the “boots on the ground” show also gave the veteran of grounded shows like Jack Ryan and The Path to 9/11 a chance to capture some stunning acting, thanks to Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Oscar and Emmy winner Olivia Colman and Kingsley Ben-Adir. 

“I was really thrilled to step in and be able to dive down into Nick Fury’s inner life, Nick Fury’s fears and doubts and vulnerability. And I think for Sam Jackson, that was an interesting place to be because he is a bada** in the MCU. He’s a bada** everywhere he goes. But I think playing vulnerability and exposing your inner self is really difficult and rewarding work for an actor.”

Selim also praises the “brilliant” Colman for her portrayal of British spy Sonia Falsworth. “She likes to sort of get a feel for it and go,” he enthuses.

In the finale, Ben-Adir’s Skrull extremist Gravik and Emilia Clarke‘s heroic Skrull Giah are infused with the DNA of dozens of Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes and villains, giving them all their powers for their final faceoff.

Selim called it a fun battle to map out. “Like what superpower would Giah have that would trump Gravik in the moment? And then what superpower would Gravik use that would dominate Giah in the moment?”

He called it “a little bit of ‘paper, scissors, rock.'”

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