SECRET INVASION Star Emilia Clarke Reveals Why She Chose Now To Join The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke will play a key role in the Secret Invasion series coming to Disney+, and the actress has now explained what led to her deciding to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

By JoshWilding - Jun 04, 2021 01:06 AM EST

Filed Under: Secret Invasion

The Secret Invasion series coming to Disney+ has added a lot of very impressive names to its cast over the past couple of months, including Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Olivia Colman. Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke will join them, though we have no idea who she'll play (the same can be said for everyone other than Jackson and Mendelsohn, though).

Talking to ComicBook.com, Clarke opened up about her decision to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe so soon after starring in the HBO fantasy series.

"I just think what they're doing right now is so exciting and so cool, and so on the cutting edge of it," the actress explained. "I feel like they're like the Apple of this world. To be part of that family feels like, 'Oh my god, I'm in the cool kid crowd. That's so cool.' Honestly speaking, the people that are making this are what pushed me over the line to really wanting to do it. I just think that everyone's heart and heads are in the right place with this one."

The prevailing theory is that Clarke will play Skrull Queen Veranke, though S.W.O.R.D. Director Abigail Brand is also a name that's been thrown around online. Whatever the case may be, this Secret Invasion role is clearly one that's excited the one-time Dragon Queen, and she's been aware of comics for quite some time.

"I grew up reading fantasy fiction, so I know that's not the same as the actual comic book itself, but that was where my imagination lived. And so, then reading about superheroes for the first time, I'm pretty sure it was Superman that was my first ever. And Spider-Man, I kind of thought he was pretty cool. Spider-Man was the first origin story that I remember as a child reading and being like, 'Oh wow, this is more than what's on the page. This is a bigger world,' and then being allowed into that."

After the disappointment that was the final season of Game of Thrones, Clarke is no doubt very much looking forward to being redeemed by the MCU (a franchise that can seemingly do no wrong). Her co-stars certainly haven't shied away from signing up with Marvel Studios in recent years, and we'll see both Richard Madden and Kit Harington reunited in Eternals this November.

Secret Invasion is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

Click on the "Next" button below to see the movies still missing
from Marvel's Phase 4 slate (and 5 we hope to see in Phase 5).

Phase 4

5. Deadpool 3

It's been confirmed that Deadpool 3 takes place in the MCU and that it will be Marvel Studios' first R-Rated blockbuster. Needless to say, explaining his arrival in this shared world won't be easy, though it certainly helps that he's not a mutant in the traditional sense.

There's no director, but Bob's Burgers' writers The Molyneux Sisters have been tapped to pen the screenplay. Given where other Phase 4 title are in the development process, we're definitely surprised that this one was missing from the recent sneak peek (which featured more logo and title reveals than it did actual new footage).

A title reveal - say, "Deadpool vs. the Marvel Universe" - would have broken the internet, but might have also overshadowed the likes of The Marvels and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Either way, we hope to have more details on this movie sooner rather than later.

4. Thunderbolts

Perhaps this was wishful thinking on our part, especially after The Falcon and The Winter Soldier barely teased the team's existence, but where the heck are the Thunderbolts in Phase 4?

Rumour has it that Yelena Belova and Taskmaster will be part of the team, and U.S. Agent seems like a logical leader for the group as well (even if he is a little unhinged). Marvel Studios might be taking its time, but not introducing this team in Phase 4 would be baffling, as the groundwork needs to be laid if they are to get their own movie in the next few years.

Throw in the retconned Baron Zemo and this is a project that could be something really special.

As it stands, we don't even know if this one is happening, though The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman has teased that there are several upcoming movies we know nothing about.

3. Avengers 5

Where are Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Phase 4?

Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing movie of all time in 2019, and if there's any franchise that can help reignite the box office and break records, it's this one. However, instead of rushing into telling a new story surrounding this team, it seems Marvel Studios wants to spend some time building up new heroes.

That's understandable, but it would have been no bad thing to make the Secret Invasion series coming to Disney+ a blockbuster movie that brought the Kree/Skrull War to Earth.

We trust Kevin Feige, though, and remain confident that when the Avengers do return, it'll be a big deal.

2. Blade

Announced during the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Blade will star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as the title character. Unfortunately, development on the project has been slow since that big reveal in Hall H.

Stacy Osei-Kuffour is penning the screenplay, but we recently learned that Marvel Studios is taking its time to ensure they get the story right. It's also been confirmed that while the hunt is on for a Black director to take the helm of Blade, the start date has been pushed from this September to July 2022.

That delay means Blade could still be released in Phase 4 (late 2023, to be precise), so it's strange that Marvel Studios didn't do something to tease the arrival of vampires in the MCU.

There's been some chatter about this always being a Phase 5 release, but that's never been made officially official...

1. Spider-Man 4

Perhaps we're putting the cart before the horse here, and expecting Marvel Studios to announce this on Monday is definitely a tad too optimistic. However, there's still room in Phase 4 for another Spider-Man adventure beyond this year's No Way Home.

Up until now, Sony Pictures has been intent on releasing solo outings featuring the wall-crawler every two years. That means the fourth instalment should arrive in 2023, but the problem now is that Jon Watts is moving on to the Fantastic Four reboot.

That takes him out of the running for Spider-Man 4, and means a new director will be needed. Throw in the fact that Tom Holland says his contract is up after No Way Home (and presumably that extra MCU appearance we've heard about), and that two-year gap looks likely to increase.

We're bound to see more Spidey, but if it isn't a fourth solo movie, then we'd be willing to bet he starts making his presence felt in the SPUMC (Venom 3, anyone?).

Phase 5

5. Young Avengers

We've talked about Avengers 5, but the reason that movie is missing from Phase 4 could be because the plan is for Marvel Studios to take Earth's Mightiest Heroes down a younger route.

With characters like Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Stature, and America Chavez all on the way to the MCU, this does feel like a logical next step, especially as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier just introduced Eli Bradley (better known as Patriot in the comic books). Throw Ironheart into the mix, and there's your team right there.

We're sure Tommy and Billy Maximoff are being aged up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness too, so the place for all these heroes could be in a team-up movie of their own.

This is a slow burn, though, so don't bank on seeing them until Phase 5.

4. Silver Surfer

When Fox still held the rights to Daredevil, they had only a certain amount of time to bring the Man Without Fear back to the big screen before they reverted to Marvel Studios.

It was then that Kevin Feige attempted to strike a deal: keep Daredevil, but give him access to Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Fox refused, and we ended up seeing Matt Murdock on Netflix a few years later. So, it seems clear that the Marvel Studios boss wants to do something with the two characters.

We're only expecting them to be teased in the Fantastic Four reboot, but Adam McKay is keen to do something with Silver Surfer, so his origin and first meeting with Galactus could be teased in a solo outing that then sets the stage for the Eater of Worlds to become the MCU's next big bad.

This has the potential to be something really special, so here's hoping it happens.

3. Captain America 4

We recently learned that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman is writing Captain America 4 alongside Dalan Musson.

It's assumed that the spotlight will be put on Sam Wilson as the new Cap, further exploring the themes and concepts introduced on Disney+. We're certainly hoping that Bucky returns here, while it would be a crying shame not to do something with Baron Zemo given Daniel Bruhl's chemistry with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.

No director has been found for this one, and it's clearly still early days. That makes it a natural fit for Phase 5.

As for that other Captain America movie (which is reportedly completely separate from this one), we're not expecting to see Chris Evans reprise the role until Phase 5 at the soonest...possibly later!

2. Nova

Kevin Feige has confirmed that Marvel Studios does have plans for Nova, and there are plenty of rumours out there that the character will receive his own feature film.

In terms of the plot, the prevailing theory is that we'll see Richard Rider training Sam Alexander, a fun idea that definitely has big screen potential. James Gunn seemingly remains uninterested in the character, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could be where we get an idea of what became of the Nova Corps in the wake of Thanos' attack.

Nova is a great character and someone who has a dedicated fanbase. With that in mind, there's really no reason not to have him take centre stage in a movie of his own.

Unfortunately, there's just not room for him in Phase 4 by the looks of it.

1. X-Men

We're as anxious as you are to see the X-Men arrive in the MCU, and there have been some weird rumours about the eventual reboot being titled "The Mutants" (meaning Marvel Studios would drop the "X-Men" branding altogether).

Fox very nearly killed the franchise, so that would be understandable, and we're pretty sure there are plans to reinvent the heroes in some way. Remember, executive Victoria Alonso has pointed out that the X-Men name is quite dated, especially when there are plenty of amazing female heroes in the team as well.

Regardless, it's vital to create some distance between Dark Phoenix (and The New Mutants) and whatever shape this reboot takes, so there's no way Wolverine and company are showing up until Phase 5.

We're sure that will be worth the wait, but dammit if we're not starting to get impatient!

Marvel's SECRET INVASION Star Kingsley Ben-Adir Reveals How He Responded To The Show's Negative Reception

Recommended For You:

BLADE Star Wesley Snipes Responds To Rumor He'll Return As The Daywalker In The MCU

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

38 Comments

dirtyscore - 6/4/2021, 1:49 AM

1. Money
2. Money
3. Money
4. GOT is over so she needs visibility

tripttwe - 6/4/2021, 3:14 AM

@dirtyscore - could it be the rather large coin crowning from Feige's starfish? Duh.

Tonic24k - 6/4/2021, 1:31 PM

@dirtyscore - Ah the cliche "actors only take roles for money" bit.

Just so ya know, this is not what motivates actors. Generally speaking anyway. Especially successful ones. Acting is by no means easy. It's an art form you have the spend years and years working on. The driving motivations for actors are portraying characters that appeal to them and well written stories.

Thinking it's all about money is straight up ignorance.

dirtyscore - 6/5/2021, 2:31 AM

@Tonic24k - Don't you think I know that? All you said it's true, but not for MCU movies! These are just vacations for them.

If she wants to perfect her art she can do that elsewhere. Have you seen Last Christmas, Above Suspicion or Voice from the Stone?

Also, we're just taking the piss here. Take a chill pill and enjoy the summer! CHeers!

Tonic24k - 6/5/2021, 6:18 AM

@dirtyscore - Not really... Based on your original comment how would I determine that? But yes, you are right, it's not that serious and you're probably just making a trivial remark. We just have to deal with so many negative trolls here that don't know what they're talking about. Doesn't seem like you're actually one of them tho. So my apologies.

TheManWithoutFear - 6/4/2021, 1:50 AM

Why now? Because they asked her.

globaltravels - 6/4/2021, 1:58 AM

She chose now because now is when they asked her. Why do all these articles go on about the MCU as if the actors have any [frick]ing say whatsoever as to when they join it or who they will play? Feige makes the call. The actor [frick]ing says yes.

dracula - 6/4/2021, 2:20 AM

Really has she done anything worth mentioning outside of Game Of Thrones

Terminator Genesis : Worst in a mostly bad series

Solo : A movie that exists and nobody really cares about one way or the other

FinnishDude - 6/4/2021, 2:21 AM

@dracula - She was Zoidberg's girlfriend in the final season of Futurama.

dracula - 6/4/2021, 2:26 AM

@FinnishDude - that was a good episode. Show went out at the right time. Still good but was at the beginning stages of loosing the spark

Now if only Simpsons did the same

FinnishDude - 6/4/2021, 2:31 AM

@dracula - One thing I liked was how they knew that it was their final season, so they didn't need to care about the status quo anymore and could give various characters their own little happy endings.

bkmeijer2 - 6/4/2021, 3:56 AM

@dracula - I'm just gonna say it: I liked Solo and actually wanna see the stories from that movie be continued (which I guess is gonna happen in Lando)

Supes17 - 6/4/2021, 4:15 AM

@dracula - I mean it’s not like she wrote the screenplays or directed the films lol

jj2112 - 6/4/2021, 2:21 AM

'The Apple of this world.' Not a very good comparison imo, but the sad truth is that it's just what the MCU has become.

Kumkani - 6/4/2021, 2:50 AM

@jj2112 - It's actually a very good comparison when you consider that everyone else copies what they do while some others make hating them their entire internet personality.

BoW - 6/4/2021, 7:30 AM

@Kumkani - Sounds very familiar to the behaviour of comic book fanboys (last part).

Comicmoviejunki - 6/4/2021, 8:22 AM

@Kumkani - B.B.B.B.B BINGO!!!

dragon316 - 6/4/2021, 3:05 AM

Apple of this world Apple products suck there over priced always look same most stuff Apple have on there tablets and phones android and google did it first Apple copied it

BoW - 6/4/2021, 7:31 AM

@dragon316 - Cry some more.

Tonic24k - 6/4/2021, 1:49 PM

@dragon316 - Not only is the second part laughably false, the UI/UX of Apple products is FAR superior to any other operating system.

RokoVII - 6/4/2021, 3:36 AM

Maybe cuz GoT is over and she needs a job? 🤷

Tonic24k - 6/4/2021, 1:50 PM

@RokoVII - Not how it works.

RokoVII - 6/5/2021, 3:07 AM

@Tonic24k - yeah i was 100% serious and not joking at all

BrainySleep - 6/4/2021, 3:53 AM

It's all part of her cunning plan

bkmeijer2 - 6/4/2021, 3:54 AM

''To be part of that family feels like, 'Oh my god, I'm in the cool kid crowd''

I remember when Game of Thrones was the hottest thing around. Good times.

Anyway, I think she would be better as Brand than as Veranke. Even though it's a little obscure, I want Colman to be Veranke. Think that her interactions with Mendelsohn's Talos would make it pretty funny.

marvel72 - 6/4/2021, 4:57 AM

Saga - 6/4/2021, 6:16 AM

She needs to pay her rent

SuperIronman12 - 6/4/2021, 8:16 AM

Should of chose Mera not gonna lie

McMurdo - 6/4/2021, 11:29 AM

She ain’t wrong. I mean the MCU and Apple put out the same products year in year out ;)

Tonic24k - 6/4/2021, 1:53 PM

Loooots of people clearly do not understand how the film industry operates.

And why do SO many people look at things thru such a negative lens ALL the time? Man y'all are miserable.