Kingsley Ben-Adir Talks Becoming A Villain In 'Secret Invasion

Every Marvel Studios film or Disney+ original series needs a great villain, and in Secret Invasion, they got one in Kingsley Ben-Adir.

Getting Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to return to Earth from outer space will take a significant threat, and in Secret Invasion, a faction of rebel Skrulls trying to take on the planet fits the bill.

Nick Fury is no stranger to the Skrull race. He first met them in Captain Marvel and would go on to team up with Carol Danvers to help find the alien refugee race a new home and befriend their leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), and his wife, Soren.

Fury’s being a victim of the Thanos snap or The Blip and having to deal with other massive threats kept the former leader of S.H.I.E.L.D quite busy, not allowing them to fulfill his promise to the Skrulls and find them a new home.

That’s where Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik comes in. He is BIG MAD. He doesn’t have a place to call home, so he decides to build up his clan and hatch a plan to take over Earth, but Fury will not allow that to happen.

Cassius Life spoke with Kingsley Ben-Adir about becoming the newest MCU villain ahead of the series premiere on Disney+ and more.

Becoming A Bad Guy Is So Much Fun

Source: Marvel Studios / Secret Invasion

It was fun to play the villain. I’d never played a villain before. That was a huge part of the appeal.

We asked the actor about playing the shapeshifting terror who will become a thorn in old man Nick Fury’s side, and Ben-Adir was very excited to take on the challenge.

“It was fun to play the villain. I’d never played a villain before. That was a huge part of the appeal. And yeah, it was great fun making the episodes and joining the MCU. Yes, it’s a treat, ” Ben-Adir said to Cassius Life.

Kingsley Ben-Adir Can Relate To Gravik

Source: Marvel Studios / Secret Invasion

I was like, this motivation is coming from a place of feeling let down by leadership, time and time again.

With most villains, there is always a backstory to why they are the way they are, and with Gravik, that continues to be the case. While his methods are outright sh*tty, there is a method to his madness.

He is a man who has had a major promise made to him by Nick Fury broken, and he has grown tired of waiting for Fury to make good on that promise. There are some things Ben-Adir can relate to when it comes to his character.

“Well, it was definitely the hypocrisy of Nick and Talos was something that I definitely identified with, and I understand fully how those feelings can create that feeling of rage that’s in Gravik, ” Ben-Adir tells Cassius Life.

Source: Marvel Studios / Secret Invasion

“So yeah, it was something that I leaned into massively. I was like, this motivation is coming from a place of feeling let down by leadership, time and time again. How many times has this guy been dropped on his head, time and time again? How much suffering has he seen? How much trauma has he experienced to get to a point where we meet him at the beginning of the show, where he trusts no one anymore? Do you know what I mean? And he’s taken shit into his own hands. I think he’s really far gone.”

He continues, “And yeah, I’d grew up with dudes who did some wild shit, and it was about trying to make sure he stayed within a world that felt grounded and real, and that he was someone who we at least understand where he is coming from, not agree with what he’s doing, but we get that it’s coming from a very real place.”

“Have I felt let down before? Yeah. Loads. Yeah. Have I let people down? Probably. But hopefully, no one wants to blow me up.”

Gravik gives Nick Fury hell in Secret Invasion, now streaming on Disney+.