Is Secret Invasion safe for kids? Is Secret Invasion ok for children? Read the Secret Invasion Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the all-new 2023 Marvel Studios television miniseries season 1 streaming exclusively on Disney+, starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos. No spoilers! #SecretInvasion May contain commissioned links.
Secret Invasion Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
It’s no secret that Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion marks the official beginning of MCU Phase V for 2023.
It’s hard to believe that it’s only been two years since the introduction of Marvel television series and miniseries to further expand the universe including TV entertainment greats like WandaVision, Loki, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel and not as great series (cough, cough She Hulk: Attorney at Law). But can we trust that 2023 will bring bigger and better for Marvel? Or more miniseries letdowns?
“The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.”
It’s true that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would not be the same without Nick Fury and his no-nonsense leadership. But after a rather quiet 2023 start for Marvel (and a disastrous Ant Man 3 release) to mark the end of MCU Phase IV, can Samuel L. Jackson pull Marvel back together to save humanity (and Marvel fans’ sanity) again?
In this Secret Invasion Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m breaking down the visuals, the story, a full TV-14 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes and language, and what kids’ age recommendation is suggested to watch in this new 2023 Marvel Studios television miniseries as a full parents guide to the new Marvel Studios TV show on Disney+. A no-spoiler parent review of Secret Invasion, is this the right foot forward for Marvel’s introduction to Phase 5? Or is this the beginning of the end of Marvel’s super hero entertainment reign?
The Visuals
So far so good when it comes to Marvel Studios visuals. Advanced CGI, makeup and action sequences all fall within the usual Marvel parameters. Thankfully Secret Invasion doesn’t skimp in the visuals department from what I’ve seen.
Photosensitivity Warning. For viewers prone to epilepsy and photosensitivity, Marvel’s Secret Invasion show does have a couple of questionable scenes that may be triggering for bright light flashes (1 per episode), and 1 possible strobing effects scene in episode 1. There are also multiple scenes occurring in darkness.
The Story
Kicking off Phase V of the MCU, the 2023 Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion television miniseries is directed by Ali Selim (“Sweet Land“), with the series story written by Kyle Bradstreet (“Mr. Robot“). Starring familiar and new MCU actors, Secret Invasion includes an all star cast including Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction“) reprising his character Nick Fury, along with Ben Mendelsohn (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story“) as Talos, Cobie Smulders (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.“) as Agent Maria Hill, Martin Freeman (“Sherlock“) as Agent Everett Ross, Kingsley Ben-Adir (“The OA” and upcoming “Barbie” 2023 film) as Gravik, Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones“) as G’iah, Olivia Colman (“The Crown“) as Sonya Falsworth, and Don Cheadle (“Avengers: Endgame“) as James Rhodes.
He’s back! After a hiatus following Avengers: Endgame, Nick Fury is back in the MCU game. In Marvel Studios’ new 2023 series “Secret Invasion,” set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls (first introduced in Captain Marvel). Fury along with some familiar MCU allies to race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity in this mystery sci-fi thriller.
Screening the first 2 episodes, I have to admit that I’m still waiting for the Secret Invasion “secret sauce” – aka whatever the main vibe is going to be. I mean WandaVision had it’s unique TV era tribute twist. Moon Knight had his creepy mental health spin. Even Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel had humor and heart to give relatability and strong foundations for their shows. But for Nick Fury and Secret Invasion – Jackson doesn’t give anything in his performance that I’m connecting with. At least not yet.
Familiar MCU cameos and an old and tired Nick Fury won’t save this show. Feeling cold, humorless and action/politically driven over story driven, Secret Invasion is missing their signature MCU story wrapped up with super hero yet flawed characters, great one-liners, emotionally charged scenes and laughter to diffuse the intensity. But despite it all, I’m still rooting for Nick Fury. And I’m hoping that in a few more episodes, my mind will be changed.
Secret Invasion TV-14 Rating Explained
Is Secret Invasion safe for kids? Another Disney+ Marvel series that’s rated TV-14? Should parents be concerned? It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). And as we know, not all movie and TV age ratings are the same. As a parent, it’s been rather heartbreaking to witness how ratings have shifted over the years with a G-rating no longer an option.
PG ratings now oscillating between Turning Red intense to Christopher Robin calm, and even PG-13/TV-14 age ratings teetering on the edge of R or MA ratings (Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, I see you!), there’s a wide range between the age of 0-14 years old for parents to consider. Having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or show is kid friendly – and safe for the whole family to watch together.
Why is Secret Invasion rated TV-14? In this Secret Invasion Review | Safe for Kids?, this 6-episode Marvel Studios mini series streaming show is rated TV-14 for “language and intense violence.” With film and TV ratings also unpredictable these days, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or television show like Secret Invasion is kid friendly. Is Secret Invasion too scary for kids? Is Secret Invasion too intense for kids? Let’s breakdown that TV-14 age rating in this Secret Invasion parents guide.
*Please note that this Marvel Secret Invasion series review and TV-14 age rating breakdown are for episodes 1 and 2 only. I will update this post with reviews of future episodes below as episodes are released.
Violence/Suspense. If there’s one word to describe what Secret Invasion is, it’s violent. More than just Marvel signature super hero violence, this Marvel miniseries packs a punch with multiple intense action sequences filled with hand-to-hand combat, gun violence (including short range), weapons violence, sharp medical needle usage, suspense, peril and death.
I would compare the violence closest to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. More human versus human violence with moderate to heavy blood, open wounds, human dismemberment, bone crunching noises, choking, torture, kill shots, explosives, and even a knife scene with blood spurting during the attack. There are a few scenes in episode 2 that take place in a butcher shop – multiple carcasses present.
Adult Themes. Death, grief and loss are common themes in Secret Invasion, along with multiple and possibly triggering traumatic scenes including a “bombing,” kidnapping, discussion of “terrorists,” “nuclear holocaust,” and Black history using terms such as “colored” to describe events.
Sexual content includes one brief yet mild sexual innuendo verbal reference to “playing doctor behind the barn” that may go over the heads of young kids. There is also one scene with a brief kiss between a couple in episode 1 and one longer kiss between a couple in episode 2.
There are also multiple scenes with characters holding, consuming, shooting and discussing alcoholic beverages, sometimes multiple alcoholic beverages in one shot including liquor, cocktails, and beer. Toilet humor is mild, with one verbal reference to a “steaming hot pile of kaka.”
Language. Secret Invasion is definitely NOT clean when it comes to swear words and foul language. This Marvel television miniseries is full with curse words including 6 “@ss,” 3 “sh!t,” 1 “b@stards,” 1 “g-dd@mn,” 4 “d@mn,” 6 “H-E-double-hockey-sticks,” 1 “crap.”
Milder insults and bad language words and phrases include “ugly,” “bloody,” “piss,” “kaka,” “screw this” (said in Russian), “g-d,” and “oh my g-d.”
Episode 3 Update (41 minutes) – Feels like a Jason Bourne episode with plot thickening for this episode. Violence is on par with the first two episodes so far. Mild blood, kill shots with mostly gunshot fighting, a little bit of hand-to-hand combat, and child kidnapping. Adult content includes the talk of “balls” and “poop.” Curse words include 1 “sh!t,” 2″@ss” (1 in the recap), 1 “d@mn,” and 2 “H-E-double-hockey-sticks.” Other foul language includes “bull,” “bloody,” and “shut up,” along with “balls” and “poop,” stated above.
Episode 4 Update (37 minutes) – A few more surprises on its way in this shorter episode. Violence is on par with the first 2 episodes. Mild to moderate amount of blood. Adult content minimal to include geopolitical topics and consuming alcohol. Language includes 1 “sh!t,” 3 “@ss,” 3 “H-E-double-hockey-sticks.” Other foul language includes 2 uses of “bloody.” Honestly, still not sold that Secret Invasion is on par with other Marvel series so far. Change my mind.
Episode 5 Update (38 minutes) – Yeah…with only one episode to go, I can easily say that Secret Invasion is officially NOT the best Marvel series ever. Moderate to heavy amount of blood this episode with multiple kill shots, gun violence, impalement, and one visual of slitting a person’s throat. There’s also hospital scenes that may be triggering and mild suspense. Adult content is overall minimal with geopolitical warfare talk. Language includes 1 “sh!t,” 2 “@ss,” 1 “b@stards,” 3 “d@mn,” 1 “H-E-double-hockey-sticks,” Other foul language includes 1 use of the word “bloody” and 1 “oh my g-d.”
Episode 6 Finale Update (35 minutes) – And the most predicable show ending goes to…Can’t say that I’m too upset that this mediocre Marvel series is now over. In 4 words, over hyped, under delivered. Moderate amounts of violence and blood this final episode of Secret Invasion. Gun violence, head shots, body impalement, dead bodies, mild choking. Adult content includes consumption of alcohol from a flask, and a kissing between a couple. Swear words/bad language include “@ss,” “d@mn,” (including one “g-d d@mn” “H-E-double hockey sticks,” and milder phrases including “pimped,” “bloody idiot,” “stupid,” along with “Christ,” “Jesus” and “g-d.”
Secret Invasion Age Rating for Kids
With a runtime of 53 – 55 minutes per episode, this 2023 Marvel television miniseries is right in the wheelhouse of Disney+ streaming series. This mystery thriller is packed with plenty of action and familiar characters. However, keep in mind that heavy dialogue, serious adult themes, and slower pacing may be less than entertaining for young kids with short attention spans.
Marvel Studios Secret Invasion 2023 television miniseries is most comparable to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – a more serious toned TV show with slight hints of Werewolf By Night violence.
The 2023 Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion mini series has six episodes in the first and only announced season 1. Secret Invasion is NOT expected to be a continuing series like Loki.
This 2023 original Marvel Studios television miniseries is rated TV-14 for “language and intense violence” by the MPAA.
So far, there are NO end credit scenes in Secret Invasion, episodes 1 and 2. You can fast forward ahead to the next episode.
Based on my Secret Invasion parents guide and mom review above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion television miniseries to kids younger than the age of 13-14 years old.
Considering the full TV-14 rating breakdown above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend the Marvel Secret Invasion miniseries to kids younger than the age of 13-14 years old. This Secret Invasion TV-14 age rating is pretty spot on and easily comparable to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,
and Werewolf By Night ratings.
I recommend that parents prescreen Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion on Disney+ for strong violence, suspense, adult themes and foul language throughout each episode. It’s a more mature Marvel show geared towards adults.
The Overall
For the record, I miss pre-blip Nick Fury. I miss pre-blip Marvel.
It’s cold. It’s humorless. It’s almost super hero-less. Secret Invasion is not the Marvel television series powerhouse I was hoping to kick off Phase V.
For a sci-fi mystery thriller, Secret Invasion is a combo of action sequences broken up with political drama along with some familiar but just OK cameos. But there’s a disconnect in that Marvel super hero yet human-flawed relatability with the audience that does NOT have me on the edge of my seat anticipating the next episode.
For a more mature Marvel series for a more mature audience, I don’t get it. But with a darker overtone, this show will more likely appeal to hardcore Marvel adult fans than families. With 1/3 of the Secret Invasion miniseries already down, I’m concerned that Phase V is off to a rough start.
Follow Secret Invasion on social media:
- Website: https://www.marvel.com/tv-shows/secret-invasion/1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarvelStudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SecretInvasion
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretinvasion/
- #SecretInvasion
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Secret Invasion, the all-new 2023 Marvel 6-episode television miniseries premiere is streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting Wednesday, June 21, 2023, with new episodes every Wednesday through July 26, 2023. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen the episodes 1-2 of the new 2023 Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion television miniseries in exchange for this Secret Invasion Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide. All photos courtesy of Disney/Marvel. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
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