Secret Invasion Finally Unites Nick Fury With Rhodey & It Gets Complicated Quick

Contains general spoilers for "Secret Invasion"

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sprawling, complicated place. It's so big that some of its superpowered characters have never even met. So it goes with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), former head of S.H.I.E.L.D., and James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle), close friend of the late Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and tech genius ne plus ultra. "Secret Invasion" is set to change that fact, and according to Jackson and Cheadle, it doesn't take long for things to get messy.

Speaking at a press conference attended by Looper, Cheadle declared that he's looking forward to seeing how Rhodey's relationship with Nick and his friends changes and evolves. Refraining from revealing any spoilers for the Disney+ series, the actor noted that there are some entertaining things ahead. 

Jackson, meanwhile, pointed out that he and his longtime friend Cheadle have never had the privilege of acting together. "I've never had an in-depth scene with Don ... So that was like manna. I've been waiting to do this for years and years and years," he noted. "It was wonderful to do and ... have that kind of abrasive little thing happen there," Jackson added, hinting that there are some rough times ahead for the team and the connection between Rhodey and Fury. 

Samuel L. Jackson isn't alone in wishing that he and Don Cheadle had gotten to act together at an earlier date. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in May 2023, Cheadle enthused about how exciting it was to finally act with his friend. "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 had high praise for Jackson's performance on "Secret Invasion." He explained that the tone of the limited series is much more spy thriller than fluffy superhero saga, which gives Jackson a lot of room to spread his wings as an actor and take the material and Nick Fury to new places. "Sam gets to act, and we really get to see why he's such a revered actor."

Not only will viewers get to see how Rhodey and Fury operate as teammates, but both Jackson and Cheadle have also explained that fans will learn about them as individuals. During a press conference attended by Looper, Jackson excitedly explained that fans will get to see Nick's home for the first time. Meanwhile, Cheadle told Entertainment Weekly that "Secret Invasion" takes the deepest dive into Rhodey's character yet. 

Fans will get to find out how much they really know about their favorite MCU characters when "Secret Invasion" hits Disney + on June 21.