In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, much was said about Marvel Studios signing actors to six or nine-picture deals. Many of those contracts concluded with Avengers: Endgame but, in Samuel L. Jackson's case, it didn't take quite as long.
In a career retrospective with GQ, the iconic actor reflected on joining the MCU with 2008's Iron Man and the fact Nick Fury quickly started showing up, well, pretty much everywhere.
"I knew I had a nine-picture deal," Jackson 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," he admitted. "That’s kind of crazy! Oh shit, I’m using up my contracts. It worked out."
Later saying he still enjoys pulling off Fury's "badass shit," Jackson reiterated his interest in taking the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director to Black Panther's home nation of Wakanda.
"All the Black people in the Marvel Universe were trying to figure out, 'Why can't we go to Wakanda?' Me, Don, Anthony Mackie... but they made it. They got to go fight. I still didn't get there," he noted. "I thought that about 'Civil War' when the kids were fighting. The kids are fighting and I'm not gonna make them go to their rooms? How does that make sense?"
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 really 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.
Looking back at his work a couple of years ago, Jackson admitted that he'd rather have fun with blockbuster roles than chase after an Oscar.
"As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago, it wasn’t a big deal for me," he said at the time. "I always have fun going to the Oscars. I always look forward to getting a gift basket for being a presenter"
" I give stuff to my relatives; my daughter and my wife would take stuff out. It’s cool. But otherwise, I was past it. I was never going to let the Oscars be a measure of my success or failure as an actor. My yardstick of success is my happiness: Am I satisfied with what I’m doing? I’m not doing statue-chasing movies."
Jackson added, "You know: 'If you do this movie, you’ll win an Oscar.' No, thanks. I’d rather be Nick Fury. Or having fun being Mace Windu with a lightsaber in my hand."
Check out the full interview in the player below.