Warning: Spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 of Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” below.
“Secret Invasion” director Ali Selim praised Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle for their work in the restaurant scene in Episode 2 of the Disney+ series, in which James Rhodes confronts Nick Fury about the explosion in Moscow at the end of Episode 1.
“Don Cheadle and Sam Jackson had wanted to work together for years and never had and they had a meaty lengthy scene together,” he told TheWrap. “That was one of the highlights of my career just to watch them work.”
During a press conference earlier this month, Cheadle teased that Rhodey is more of a “political animal” than fans have seen in the past.
“He’s been more of a military man, but now he’s sort of, in some ways, a right hand of the president and this special envoy, in that regard,” he explained at the time. “I think what I’m looking forward to is just seeing more, getting under the hood of who he is and seeing how this relationship, not only with Nick Fury, but the other cast members evolves.”
In addition to the being first collaboration between Jackson and Cheadle, the show also marks the first partnership between Jackson and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.
“Sam and Olivia had never worked together and were fans of each other,” he said. “So it created an electricity on set and a need to do better and better and better.”
Colman plays Sonya Falsworth, an MI6 agent who is an old friend of Nick Fury.
“After every Marvel film that’s landed in cinemas, I found my agent and said, “Please can I be in a Marvel?” And finally, either she got fed up with me calling her or it happened,” Colman recalled. “So it wasn’t ‘Secret Invasion.’ Any mention of the word Marvel and I went, ‘Yes, please’ … I had an absolute ball, and it lived up to everything that I was hoping for.”
Selim said that having “seasoned actors” and “consummate professionals” on set always makes a director’s job easier because you’re “dialing in nuance and focusing on the deeper levels of story and not working to get the line read or something.”
“I think this group of actors are always prepared, always searching for the truth of their character, searching through the truth of the story and are all excited to work together,” he added. “
In addition to Jackson, Cheadle and Colman, the series stars Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, Colbie Smulders, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Martin Freeman.
The first two episodes of “Secret Invasion” are streaming now on Disney+. New episodes are available every Wednesday.
