[This story contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Secret Invasion.]
Secret Invasion Director
“They were not long conversations [with the Marvel team]. It was simply, ‘You Where is he needed? Do you need him here? Great.’ And we write in. So that sort of thing is pretty easy because it’s all above my pay grade,” Selim told The Hollywood Reporter . 
Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adil) is the leader of the Skrull rebellion who tries to foment tension between the United States and Russia. War so that the Skrulls can take over Earth. The plot may seem ripped in part from the headlines, but the real-life tension doesn’t emerge until halfway through filming of Secret Invasion come out. The U.S. and Russia have reached another level thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For Selim, the real-life parallels only enhance the show’s intended tone.
“It’s coincidence, chance, danger and all of the above. But what I like about this show is that it’s real and down to earth,” says Selim. “The stakes are Earth and humanity, not something more abstract or imaginary in outer space. So a real-life conflict between Russia and America just makes the story feel more real.”
Below, in a recent conversation with THR, Selim also explains why coaching Little League has made him a better director.
So how did you convince Marvel to make a full-fledged spy thriller?
I’m not here to convince them. They started this full-fledged espionage thriller and found me after my work on The Looming Tower and my work with the CIA and FBI, where I learned about the ingrained world of trust, suspicion and paranoia. That’s the tone they were trying to convey, and we ended up at the same fork in the road at the same time.
In general, I’m sure you’ve come to expect something from Marvel’s work, so how does your actual experience compare?
I have no expectations in life because I am old enough to know that they will never help you or fulfill. Marvel is the pinnacle of storytelling in the industry today, and I really wanted to be able to peek behind the scenes of The Witcher and see how it’s done. It’s a very different process than anything I’ve been through, but it’s obviously a very rewarding one. They just keep chasing the story until it becomes clear and exciting and exciting, and going on that journey with them is enlightening and rewarding.
(LR): This Marvel Studios “ Secret Invasion” with Mendelssohn as Talos and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury) by Provided by Marvel Studios
Regarding the train and restaurant scene in Episode 2, were those days special to you since Sam did the old-fashioned Sam Jackson thing?
Yes, but honestly, every day is special to me. I can’t pick one scene over another because there are so many great hands in these six episodes. Two great actors will enter an environment ready to use their craft. That scene with Sam and Ben (Mendelssohn) on the train is especially exciting because they’re good friends and love working together. They have very different work styles and it was fascinating to watch and help them. Don Cheadle and Sam have wanted to work together for decades but never got the chance, and their acting styles are very similar. So watching them work through that and figure out the emotional truth in the [restaurant] scene was also a very rewarding but very different experience.
You just thought of something I’ve asked so many times. What usually happens when two actors employ different techniques? Does one generally adapt to the other? Or do you have to help them bridge that gap?
Well, they’re all after the same thing, which is the emotional truth of the scenes that serve the story. They’re not here to show us how they do it. They land in that moment, and the best actors, no matter which way they go, head to the same place. People think I’m silly or joking when I say that, but I think the most important lesson I learned in learning how to command came from coaching Little League baseball. You have Kids listen differently, see different things, need different things, you just have to find a way to help them be the best they can be, help them be who they are, and not mold them into something else. In baseball, you have the same goal, which is to go home.
Don Cheadle as James Roddy Rhodes Secret Invasion
Provided by Marvel Studios
Your release date has changed, as have many other Marvel projects. How much adjustment did you have to make to account for other stories and release date changes?
Oh, if this is the reality of what happened, I never felt that way. My only feeling is that we’re chasing the story until it’s everything it needs to be: clear, emotionally real, exciting, etc. I think Kevin said this morning (at the press conference) that we’re releasing it now because it’s done. There is no other strategy.
For example, Nick Fury in November’s The Marvels, so do you have to communicate with that team to make sure you keep him in the right place?
The answer is yes, but they are not long conversations. It’s simple, “Where do you need him? Do you need him here? Great.” And then we write it in. So this sort of thing is easy because it’s all above my pay grade.
Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn Talk about Secret Invasion Des Wiley/Marvel
forehead hug between Fury and Skrulls, I don’t remember when Captain Wei . Do you know the reason behind it?
We’re just looking for a different connection between Skrull and Skrull and Nick Fury and his Skrull friends. It was a conversation with Sam Mendelsohn and Ben Mendelsohn, just looking for ways to do something different. Skrulls aren’t from Earth, so they probably don’t shake hands for some reason. This is just an exploration of what might be different.
There is conflict between the US and Russia in this show, so is anyone concerned about these real life parallels?
Well, the real life parallels didn’t really emerge until we were halfway through filming, so it was coincidence, serendipity Coincidence, danger, and all of the above. But what I love about this show is that it’s real and grounded. The stakes are Earth and humanity, not more abstract or fictional things from outer space. So the real-life conflict between Russia and the US only makes the story feel more real.
I really like the exterior stairs shot in the opening episode. Martin Freeman’s character runs up the stairs with motion sensor lights, and the shot is filmed through a window on the outside of the building. Where does it rank in terms of your favorite shot from the show?
I can’t say I have a favorite lens. Every shot we do is in service of the story, and if any one of them jumps out for any reason then we’ve failed.
211025 “Secret Invasion” now airs Wednesdays on Disney+. This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
