Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel actor Samuel L. Jackson has shed light on his Nick Fury contract with Marvel.
Over 15 years on from his first appearance as “super-spy” Nick Fury in Iron Man (2008), Samuel L. Jackson has become one of the most influential figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From his first appearance, Jackson brought a commanding presence that helped shape the tone of the MCU, positioning Fury as the linchpin behind the Avengers and the greater S.H.I.E.L.D. narrative. His role wasn’t just a cameo but a catalyst for the interconnected universe that followed – starring in a grand total of 12 movies, plus the Disney+ series Secret Invasion (which wasn’t exactly well-received) to date.
That makes Jackson the MCU’s most decorated veteran, beating out even the likes of Robert Downey Jr. However, Jackson didn’t sign on for 12 movies from the offset. Instead, he signed a nine-picture deal – one which he initially doubted his ability to complete.
Jackson recently spoke to GQ Magazine about his illustrious career, which has included roles in mega franchises such as Jurassic Park and Star Wars, where he played the Jedi Mace Windu.
When addressing his time in the MCU, Jackson admitted that he was afraid that he wouldn’t live long enough to complete his initial nine-picture deal as Nick Fury.
“I knew I had a nine-picture deal,” he said. “Kevin [Feige, Marvel President] said, ‘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. That’s kind of crazy! Oh sh*t, I’m using up my contracts. It worked out.”
With Fury still alive at the end of Secret Invasion, it seems incredibly unlikely that Jackson will cap out at 12 movies and a TV show. There have already been rumors that the character will return for either Avengers: Doomsday (which will see Downey Jr. return to the MCU – but as Doctor Doom, not Iron Man) or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Jackson has also made no secret of his love for the franchise. The now-75-year-old actor opened up to Empire Magazine last year, saying, “I love playing him, and I love the fact that they’re opening him up to all these other possibilities and this whole life that he has. So hopefully, I’m not done, and in this new phase of the MCU, I’ll still be floating in and out of there somehow, some way.”