Secret Invasion is a TV show that revolves around hidden identities and shape-shifting. However, even after four episodes, it hasn’t fully embraced the shocking and thrilling conspiracy theme. While there have been a few revelations about politicians being Skrulls and the U.S. government blaming Nick Fury for Maria Hill’s death, the show has the potential to go much further.

The fourth episode of the show features Gravik and his team discussing their upcoming operation to assassinate the American president. It’s hard not to notice the intentional or unintentional resemblance to the “No Russian” mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

In the game, a terrorist leader named Makarov instructs his men not to speak Russian during an attack on a Russian airport. The mission was controversial because players were put in a position to shoot virtual civilians, but it fully embraced the idea of political manipulation that Secret Invasion only hints at without fully committing to it.

Unfortunately, Secret Invasion falls short in executing these ideas. In this week’s episode, Gravik’s plan to frame the Russians for the attack on the president fails, and his team frequently speaks English during the operation. In addition, Gravik reveals his tree-arm powers, further exposing his cover. Instead of killing the president as planned, his team focuses on killing Talos, making the whole operation feel like a failure.

The show should allow Gravik to act on his evil intentions and shift blame onto others. Even the one successful frame job, Fury killing Maria Hill, is reduced to blackmail material from Rhodey, who is likely a Skrull himself.

The concept of shape-shifting aliens taking over the world is unsettling and should be exciting, but after four episodes, Secret Invasion falls short of delivering on its promise. While it’s understandable why the show can’t follow the exact plot of the comic version or involve famous superheroes, that doesn’t mean Skrulls disguised as heroes can’t carry out assassinations and devious plots across the world. So far, the show could have easily been about any generic terrorists instead of refugee aliens.

The introduction of shape-shifting aliens within a known universe is meant to make audiences question the motivations of their favorite heroes. It challenges the perception of who the real villains are and pushes audiences out of their comfort zones. While the resemblance to Call of Duty is there, Secret Invasion fails to capture the risk and impact of that controversial mission.

The reluctance of Secret Invasion to venture into shocking territory feels like a branding decision driven by the interconnected Marvel universe’s fragile nature. Marvel seems hesitant to tarnish the image of its successful characters and risk any impact on potential spinoffs in the future.

I’m not suggesting that Secret Invasion needs to replicate the intensity of “No Russian” or show Skrull Captain America committing atrocities, but the series could have benefited from a minor hero being framed for a war crime or two. It would have added depth and complexity to the story.