Played by the legendary Samuel L. Jackson, Nick Fury has become an absolute fan favorite with his badass eyepatch and commanding presence. He's the guy who's been behind the scenes, pulling the strings and bringing the Avengers together. Let's take a look at Fury's journey throughout the films and TV series of the MCU ahead of Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion.
Before we dive in be sure to follow our coverage of Secret Invasion anywhere you get your podcasts!
It all started back in 2008 with Iron Man. Fury made his first appearance in a post-credits scene, meeting the one and only Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at his fancy Malibu pad. They had a little chat about something called the Avengers Initiative.
Fast forward to Iron Man 2 (2010), where Fury sent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), aka Black Widow, to see if Stark is worthy to be a part of the Avengers Initiative. She also helped Stark deal with his palladium illness and Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash. At the end of it all, Fury hired Stark as a consultant for the Initiative.
In the post-credits scene of Thor (2011) Fury enlisted the help of Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) to unlock the secrets of the Tesseract (which is really the Space Stone), a powerful energy source that causes a whole lot of trouble down the line. We have a feeling Fury's knowledge of the Tesseract is also what the Skrulls are after in Secret Invasion.
In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Fury greets Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans) after he wakes from his seventy-year frozen slumber. The Avengers roster continues to grow!
Fury really kicks into action in The Avengers (2012) when Loki arrives on Earth to take the Tesseract and lead the Chitauri invasion of Earth. Alongside Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Fury establishes the Avengers Initiative, bringing together a team of extraordinary individuals including Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).
Fury's adventures don't stop at the big screen. He even made some notable appearances in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series. He dropped by in episodes like "0-8-4" (2013) and "Beginning of the End" (2014).
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Fury's life was in serious danger thanks to those sneaky Hydra infiltrators. He faked his death and teamed up with Cap, Black Widow, and Sam Wilson, aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie), to take down Hydra and save the world. This time, we saw a more vulnerable side of Fury as he questioned his own ethics and battled paranoia, sure to be a continued theme in Secret Invasion. Who can you trust, right?
Fury even had a quick cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). He showed up at Barton's farm to give the team a pep talk and help them strategize against Ultron. Sure, it was a short appearance, but Fury always knows how to make both an impact and his sandwich preferences known.
Fury's appearance in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) is brief but impactful. Fury and Hill are discussing the epic battle in Wakanda and the status of our beloved Tony Stark. However, just as the world around them gets intense due to the snap, Fury starts disappearing thanks to Thanos. Talk about bad timing! But being the resourceful guy he is, Fury managed to send out a distress signal using a modified pager before fading away. Hello Captain Marvel!
In Captain Marvel (2019), we got to see a younger and less jaded Fury. Just a low-level bureaucrat, not yet the badass director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury's encounter with Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), opened his world to the existence of superpowered beings. Inspired by her, Fury created the Avengers Initiative and named it after her old callsign. He also lost an eye to a Flerken named Goose. Who knew those cute cats could be so dangerous?
Fury returns after the Blip in Avengers: Endgame (2019) thanks to Tony Stark reversing Thanos' snap. He attends Tony Stark's funeral and reunites with Carol Danvers.
In the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Fury is taking a much-needed vacation in space on a Skrull spaceship - keep in mind Fury and Captain Marvel promised to find them a new home. He recruited Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and Soren (Sharon Blynn) to fill in for him and Hill, giving Peter Parker (Tom Holland) Tony Stark's glasses. Even on vacation, Fury knows how to stay in the game.
Several alternate versions of Nick Fury appear in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, with Jackson reprising his role in the episodes: What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?, What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?, What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?, and What If... Thor Were an Only Child?
Fury's journey continues in the upcoming live-action series Secret Invasion releasing June 21st, 2023 and the film The Marvels, starring Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), and Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) releasing November 10, 2023.
Throughout his appearances in the MCU, Nick Fury has been the driving force behind the formation and guidance of the Avengers. He has faced threats from Hydra, saved the planet from alien invasions, and ushered in the existence of superheroes to the world. Samuel L. Jackson brings his unique blend of coolness and intensity to the character. We can't wait to see what surprises Fury has in store for us next. Here's to hoping he makes it out of Secret Invasion!
