Samuel L. Jackson

It’s been over a year since we got a new Marvel movie.

If you’d asked me at the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe whether Nick Fury should get his very own movie, I’d probably have said no. I love Samuel L. Jackson as much as the next guy  —  perhaps even more after hearing his outstanding vocal work in the documentary I Am Not Your Negro  —  but Fury always seemed better on the periphery, a character who pull the strings in the shadows. Still, after seeing how well the Russo Brothers used Jackson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I’m willing to change my tune. Maybe a Nick Fury standalone movie wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

We already know Avengers: Infinity War is going to be huge, with the current MCU arcs building toward a crossover event that promises to be the studio’s biggest yet — even bigger than Captain America: Civil War. According to previous comments made by directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Infinity War will feature dozens of characters from the Marvel universe, including Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. As for the rest of the lineup, we can only make educated guesses, but a new casting call may have spilled the beans.

We do a lot of reading between the lines when it comes to the divide between Marvel’s cinematic and TV branches, but rarely does an actor out-and-out wish death to a character on either side. Yes, Nick Fury may quietly arrange for S.H.I.E.L.D. to take out Foggy Nelson, as Samuel L. Jackson voices his disdain for the Daredevil character.

Samuel L. Jackson won’t be appearing in Captain America: Civil War, and with only two films left in his Marvel contract, we’ve been wondering when we might see Nick Fury again. We may have an answer, as a new report suggests that Jackson has a role in Thor: Ragnrok, which is filming in Australia at the same studio where the actor recently filmed scenes for Kong: Skull Island with his Marvel co-star Tom Hiddleston.

There are a few indisputable truths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the ultimate lesson is that Nick Fury ain't nothing to f--- with. The dude is practically invincible, and he doesn't have a suit of armor or special secret sauce giving him powers either. He's also Samuel L. Jackson, which in and of itself brings a sort unbreakable spirit to the character. Though Jackson himself owes more than a tiny bit of his success as the leader of SHIELD to Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, the real deal himself has been impressive in his own right. About the only thing that's been lacking has been an equal distribution of Nick Fury action figures. While there have been a few in smaller scales based on his appearances in the recent films, Hot Toys has only released one Nick Fury sixth-scale figure to date based on his role in The Avengers. It was a decent figure, but lacked a truly special likeness. Where nearly every other Avenger has seen more than a few different figures since the start of the MCU with Iron Man, Nick's only just getting his second figure now. The good thing is, it's a beauty.

Pretty much every character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is making an appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Iron Man, Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Vision, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, Black Panther, Ant-Man are all set to star. Heck, even Spider-Man and General Ross are part of the cast. But, there’s one major character who is conspicuously absent: Nick Fury. Even star Samuel L. Jackson has no idea why he’s not in the movie.

The superheroes at the center of Avengers: Age of Ultron resonate so strongly with so many people because they’re so deeply entrenched in popular culture. Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk were around for years before Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo were even born. These aren’t just characters – they’re icons. And while serious comic book nerds know how much Earth’s mightiest heroes have changed with the times, taking a look back at what the likes of Black Widow and Hawkeye and the Vision used to look like is both entertaining and (dare we say it?) educational.

There’s a lot to like about Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the coolest thing about it is the way it reclaims the comic book part of the phrase “comic-book movie.” Rather than using these characters to do something “edgy” or “adult” or “important,” or sanding down their quirkier edges to appeal to as broad and mainstream an audience as possible, Age of Ultron doubles down on its source material’s geeky origins.

We know that Tony Stark's Iron Man suit is powerful—when fully charged, it can lift over 100 tons—but, we probably didn't realize just how heavy it is. The original suit in the first ‘Iron Man’ movie weighed over 90 lbs. That's big, hot costume to have to act in all day. And, to think, it was almost not even Robert Downey, Jr. underneath all that armor. Find out which other actors made the cut, and a lot more, in the latest invincible installment of You Think You Know Movies!