It took until Secret Invasion for Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson to perform opposite one another, not only in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but their entire respective acting careers.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cheadle revealed how cathartic it was to do a project with Jackson after decades of knowing each other in Hollywood and working on films but never sharing screentime. “Day one, we sat down and were like, ‘This should have happened a long time ago, but it’s great that it’s happening now,'” he said. “Sam’s a good friend, and I’ve known him a long time. It was cool to be able to sit across from him and go back and forth.”
Cheadle also revealed a bit about James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine’s new job during Secret Invasion, serving as “righthand to the president” while the titular Skrull invasion unfolds. On how this role brings Rhodey in contact with Nick Fury — who canonically has been aiding the Skrulls since Captain Marvel‘s events — Cheadle described him as, “not directly at odds but somewhat on the other side of where Fury is.”
Nick Fury and War Machine, Two MCU Staples
Jackson, after portraying Fury in the original Iron Man, would subsequently reprise his role across ten MCU movies, as well as video games and TV shows like Marvel’s What If…? Cheadle, meanwhile, debuted in 2010’s Iron Man 2, — replacing Iron Man‘s Terrance Howard in the role — before returning for five more MCU films and a brief cameo in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s first episode, which earned Cheadle an Emmy nomination. He will also star in the upcoming film Armor Wars, which reportedly follows the aftermath of Secret Invasion‘s events.
Last month, Marvel confirmed Secret Invasion‘s June release date and, in a new trailer, previewed Fury and Talos’ battle against a radicalized Skrull faction on Earth. According to Jackson, these Skrulls are partially motivated by anger toward Fury, who failed to give the Captain Marvel Skrulls a home where they wouldn’t need to pose as human anymore. He also described Secret Invasion‘s Nick Fury as a man “showing his face, and showing his age,” with photos frequently depicting the S.H.I.E.L.D. leader in a beard and inconspicuous clothes instead of his trademark uniform and eyepatch.
Joining the duo in Secret Invasion are fellow MCU alumni Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman and Ben Mendelsohn, who played Fury’s Skrull ally Talos in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. The show’s notable Skrull characters, meanwhile, include rebel leader Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and Talos’s daughter G’iah (Emilia Clarke), a member of the rebel faction.
Secret Invasion premieres June 21 on Disney+.
Source: EW
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