Secret Invasion: Don Cheadle on getting to share the screen with Samuel L. Jackson for the first time

Despite being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for well over a decade, Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle have never actually shared the screen together. That will all change with Secret Invasion, the upcoming Marvel series which features both Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson.

Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role of Nick Fury as he investigates a conspiracy involving the Skrulls, a species of shape-shifting aliens first introduced in Captain Marvel. Fury will cross paths with James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) during the investigation. Don Cheadle told Entertainment Weekly that the moment was a long-time coming. “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,’” Cheadle 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.” The pair did appear during Tony Stark’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame, but didn’t share any screen time.

Don Cheadle also teased that Secret Invasion gives Samuel L. Jackson the time to deliver a more layered performance. “Sam gets to act, and we really get to see why he’s such a revered actor,” Cheadle said. The actor went on to say that the series feels more like a spy thriller than the typical Marvel project. “It speaks to the elasticity of what the MCU can be,” he said. “This one feels much closer to a movie like Bourne Identity or something that’s more along the tone of a ’70s movie. It’s not as much about the bells and whistles of big special effects. It’s more about the intrigue and drama, the espionage and double-crosses. And I still think it fits perfectly with what the MCU is able to do and pull off.“

After we see Don Cheadle in Secret Invasion, the actor will finally be taking center stage in Armor Wars. The project was originally developed as a series, but later transformed into a movie. Cheadle couldn’t say much about Armor Wars at this time, only to tease that we’ll get to “see what makes him tick” and dig into his “emotional and psychological [challenges].“

Secret Invasion will debut on Disney+ on June 21st.