Samuel L. Jackson Announces Marvel Return as Nick Fury – But Not in Avengers: Doomsday
The MCU veteran was last seen in The Marvels and Secret Invasion
A Marvel veteran is returning: Samuel L. Jackson isn't done with Nick Fury just yet. Speaking to the website The Direct, the actor announced that he'll soon be appearing in another MCU film. However, he isn't referring to "Avengers: Doomsday." As is well known, for the fifth "Avengers" film, Marvel is bringing back numerous familiar faces to the big screen—from the Avengers stars to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. One name, however, has been missing so far: Samuel L. Jackson.
Samuel L. Jackson Talks About Nick Fury's Return
And that doesn't appear to be changing. When asked about his iconic role, the actor announced his return with these words: "Next movie… [the] next movie after this one." This most likely refers to a return in "Avengers: Secret Wars"—the next MCU film after "Doomsday." Jackson was also asked if he could reveal anything about the plot of "Secret Wars." His response:
"I have no idea. [Marvel] hasn't told me anything, other than, 'You're not gonna be in this movie. You'll be in the next.'"
"Secret Wars," just like "Doomsday," will be directed by the Russo brothers and is set to be released one year after the fifth "Avengers" film. The film is conceived as the grand finale of the Multiverse saga. Against this backdrop, a Nick Fury appearance in "Secret Wars" seems entirely plausible. After all, Jackson's character is closely tied to the "Avengers" movies—it seems only logical that he'll play his part in this decisive chapter.
Jackson's most recent MCU film appearance to date was in 2023's "The Marvels," alongside Brie Larson and others. That same year, he also appeared in the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion."
"Doomsday" is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. "Secret Wars" will follow on December 17, 2027—and with it, likely Nick Fury's return. But Jackson may not be the only returning cast member in the sixth "Avengers" film. There's also speculation about an appearance by Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. Find out more here:
Avengers: Doomsday
Little is known about "Secret Wars" yet. In any case, many superhero fans are initially looking forward to "Doomsday." Marvel has already released an official synopsis for the film:
"'Avengers: Doomsday' follows beloved heroes from three distinct universes as they're set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they've ever encountered."
The film's cast is truly epic: it features Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Channing Tatum. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely. You can watch the latest "Doomsday" trailer here:
Once again, Joe and Anthony Russo are at the helm. The directing duo has had a decisive impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with four films: Following "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) and "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), the brothers directed "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), two pivotal highlights of the Infinity Saga. "Endgame" became a global cinematic phenomenon and marked the end of an era for the MCU.
In recent years, however, there has been increasing talk of a certain "superhero fatigue"—and Marvel, too, has faced growing criticism from fans. Yet "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" in particular recently proved to be a huge success. It will therefore be interesting to see whether the Russos can build on that success with "Doomsday" and, ultimately, "Secret Wars."
