When it comes to the MCU, Samuel L Jackson and his role as Nick Fury are right up there with Robert Downey Jr and the rest of the original Avengers actors, in being synonymous with the franchise. Jackson has now been playing director Nick Fury for 14 years, with 11 appearances to date, but he still loves playing the character.
Jackson’s Fury first appeared in the movie which started it all for the MCU, 2008’s Iron Man, when he showed up in a post-credit scene to inform the titular hero of the Avengers Initiative. Since then, we have seen him co-ordinate missions on a global scale, we’ve seen him fake his own death a few times, and he’s even been into space.
But, Jackson says he still enjoys his role in the MCU, for many reasons. Not least of all due to his own love of comic books, and how cool it is to see himself portraying such an iconic character. But, Jackson also touches on the cultural impact of comic book movies too.
“He’s a guy who has no superpowers, who’s in charge of people who have superpowers, and they let him be. That’s something special about him,” Jackson shared with Collider in a recent interview. “He’s a leader of men that are very different, in another kind of way,” the actor added.
“It’s very satisfying to be a part of a world that I admired for so long when I was a kid. I still buy comic books. I still go to comic book stores. I still read them,” Jackson reveals. “It means something to be part of a cultural canon that people revere and that they respect, in another way,” he concluded.
Samuel L Jackson still has plenty more to come as Marvel continues through its Phase 4, with appearances in the new TV series Secret Invasion coming to streaming service Disney Plus, and a cameo potentially lined up for the next Ant-Man movie.