Samuel L. Jackson first played Nick Fury in 2008's Iron Man, showing up for a surprise post-credits scene that set the stage for The Avengers to follow in 2012. The legendary actor has since become an MCU mainstay, appearing in countless film and television projects for Marvel Studios.
Recent years haven't delivered the best Nick Fury stories, though Jackson remains at the top of his game. Avengers: Doomsday seems to be the likely next destination for the screen icon, though only time will tell how much longer he will continue playing the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
Talking to Vanity Fair to mark Bruce Willis' 70th birthday, Jackson revealed the advice his Unbreakable and Glass co-star gave him shortly after they shared the screen in Die Hard With a Vengeance.
"He told me, 'Hopefully you’ll be able to find a character that, when you make bad movies and they don’t make any money, you can always go back to this character everybody loves,'" Jackson recalled. "He said, 'Arnold’s got Terminator. Sylvester’s got Rocky and Rambo. I’ve got John McClane.' I’m like, 'Oh, okay.'"
"And it didn’t occur to me until I got that Nick Fury role - and I had a nine-picture deal to be Nick Fury - that, 'Oh, I’m doing what Bruce said. I’ve got this character now,'" he added.
Willis' advice paid off in a big way for Jackson. Unfortunately, the Die Hard star retired from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia. The disorder is a result of brain damage and affects a person’s ability to communicate; in Willis' case, it's progressed into frontotemporal dementia.
In his own career retrospective last year, Jackson reflected on joining the MCU and the fact Nick Fury quickly started showing up, well, pretty much everywhere.
"I knew I had a nine-picture deal," he started. "[Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] said that: 'We’re going to offer you a nine-picture deal.' How long do you have to stay alive to make nine movies? It’s not the quickest process in the world."
"I didn’t know they were going to make nine movies in like two and a half years," Jackson admitted. "That’s kind of crazy! Oh shit, I’m using up my contracts. It worked out."
After being sidelined in movies like Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, Fury took centre stage in Secret Invasion and The Marvels, neither of which managed to strike a chord with fans or critics.
With any luck, Jackson will get to go out on a high before the Multiverse Saga ends.
What do you hope to see from Jackson's Fury over the next few years? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.