It’s funny now, looking back on where the MCU all started way back in 2008. Director Jon Favreau has been reminiscing with Jimmy Kimmel about where it all began with the first Iron Man movie. The movie kicked off the use of post-credits scenes to set up the next movie – which became a hallmark of the Marvel movies.
In the first ever MCU post-credits scene, Tony Stark enters his high-tech home. A shadowy figure is waiting for him, who tells him; “Mr. Stark you’ve become part of a bigger universe, you just don’t know it yet.” Stark says; “Who the hell are you?” And he responds; “Nick Fury. Director of SHIELD. I’m here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative.”
Favreau confessed to Kimmel that two versions of this scene were recorded, one very much more R-rated than the other. If you’ve got a few minutes with Samuel L. Jackson, what are you gonna do? “We had it with Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury. That was a Top Secret shoot, we had to do that on a day off. Sam Jackson came in. I’m a fan of Sam Jackson’s, not just from Star Wars, but from his Tarantino films, his independent film days.”
“It was just a blast to have him there. The eye-patch, the leather coat, just having on the set. He’s a real geek, he loves comic book culture, and sci-fi. He was there, and I was directing him. I had him do a take – just for me – I knew it wasn’t going to be in the movie.” In the take, after Stark says; “Who the hell are you?” Jackson responds; “Nick Fury, motherf*cker.”
Favreau has of course gone on to direct Disney live-action remakes The Jungle Book and The Lion King, and he’s now the creator/showrunner of The Mandalorian. The next Marvel movie will be Guardians of the Galaxy 3, followed by The Marvels.