‘Secret Invasion’s peculiar MCU first might explain why Disney Plus viewership has tanked

Despite having an all-star cast and featuring some MCU favorites, Secret Invasion has fallen a bit flat when it comes to viewing figures. A few have posited that this is because it’s a departure from the lowest common denominator blend of action and corny comedy that many bloated Marvel projects have lapsed into, as Secret Invasion is ostensibly a noir mystery, albeit with some wild sci-fi elements. However, a commenter on Reddit has pointed out that it might not just be the show’s new stylistic direction that’s keeping viewers away.

As noted by the sharp-eyed Redditor, Secret Invasion is the first major Marvel project to not have the name of any hero or team in its title, instead opting for the name of the comic it was based on. While other previous MCU works have been missing established names in the title (like What If…? and many of the One Shots films, also mentioned in the post) they were released with much less fanfare than Secret Invasion. To put it bluntly, this MCU product has had the full hype machine behind it.

While this could be a plausible reason some fans haven’t tuned in, it also feels a bit like an excuse. After all, Secret Invasion is very much branded like a Marvel project, and a lot of the advertising imagery has Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury emblazoned across it. Given Fury is one of the MCU’s most popular and well-known characters, it seems unlikely fans would struggle to link Secret Invasion with the comic franchise. Additionally, the show appears under the “Marvel” section of Disney+, which puts to bed any claims masses of people would have been unaware it falls under the MCU banner.

There are plenty of other reasons for the show’s sluggish viewing figures. The start has been a little slow, missing the rollicking action that defines a lot of the studio’s other works. And, given pacing is such a vital part of previous Marvel successes, this is certainly enough to turn people off. Other shows that have had similarly slow starts to build intrigue also managed to keep the mystery alive a bit better than Secret Invasion has (notably WandaVision, which kept viewers guessing as to the nature of the show for quite some time, compelling them to keep watching). Plus, there’s the fact it is a departure from Marvel’s usual blockbuster fare.

Whatever the reason for the poor viewing figures, it’s a shame that Secret Invasion isn’t being enjoyed by the usual suspects. The turn away it takes from other MCU products is worth celebrating, and the stellar cast do it justice. It seems die-hard Marvel fans might just be afraid of new things.