‘It’s a six-hour movie unto itself’: ‘Secret Invasion’ continues Marvel’s staunch refusal to admit it makes TV shows

It’s more of an industry-wide issue than a specifically Marvel Cinematic Universe problem, but the director behind Secret Invasion has nonetheless continued the infuriating trend of showrunners and executive producers refusing to simply come right out and say they’ve made a TV show.

If it plays on the big screen and isn’t dissected into individual installments, then it’s a movie. If it airs only on the small screen and is a project comprised of multiple episodes, then it’s a series. The distinction couldn’t be clearer, and yet Ali Selim has continued hammering home the concept that Marvel isn’t in the TV business in an interview with Total Film.

“It’s a six-hour movie unto itself. When it ends, I hope you feel satiated and complete. And as Marvel does so excellently, you also feel like ‘Oh, it could go in this direction.’ Nick Fury is alive and continues to battle, I don’t think that’s a spoiler alert. And there are some characters that are no longer with us and some characters that live to see another challenge. I would love to see that challenge become season two.”

Saying “it’s a six/eight/ten/twelve/delete where applicable-hour movie” has become the laziest byword imaginable for revealing the project in question has high production values. If it was really a motion picture in disguise, then we’d all be gearing up to catch Secret Invasion at the multiplex. Except, we’re not. Because it can only be found on Disney Plus with new episodes arriving weekly. Because it’s a TV show.