It can sometimes be easy to forget that when Iron Man was first released back in 2008, the vast majority of fans had no idea that it was set to launch an entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie was filled with Easter Eggs and references that comic book aficionados would understand, but it wasn’t until Nick Fury showed up during the post-credits stinger that we got our first official confirmation that an Avengers movie was a real possibility.
Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. would go on to provide the connective tissue throughout Phase One as Marvel established their standalone franchises that would eventually dovetail into a team effort featuring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, with the studio signing Samuel L. Jackson to an unprecedented nine-picture deal in order to make sure that the pieces were firmly in place for what would quickly become the biggest brand in the movie industry.
Jackson’s Fury has since gone on to appear in eleven MCU flicks, with his involvement ranging from brief cameos in Thor and Avengers: Endgame to full-blown supporting roles in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. The man behind the Avengers Initiative has already come close to being killed off before in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, of course, and now we’ve heard that Colonel Fury might not be sticking around for much longer.
According to our sources – the same ones who told us Taskmaster would be the main villain in Black Widow, and that a She-Hulk series is coming to Disney Plus, both of which were correct – Marvel Studios plans on having Nick Fury around for a few more films, maybe up until the end of Phase Four, while also using the next slate of movies to gradually introduce his replacement. From what we’ve been told, Abigail Brand will be the MCU’s next government overseer, and we already know that the S.W.O.R.D. organization she’s in charge of are set to be introduced in WandaVision.
As for how Fury’s arc will end, that we don’t know, but Captain Marvel 2 could be the ideal place to write him out of the franchise for good given his history with Carol Danvers, with S.W.O.R.D. and Commander Brand ready-made replacements to step in. We’ve already had over a decade of S.H.I.E.L.D. and with the events of Avengers: Endgame set to change the MCU for good, perhaps now is the right time to send the one-eyed military veteran riding off into the sunset.
Whatever ends up happening, it seems Fury only has a few more appearances left and in the not too distant future, we’ll get to meet his replacement in the form of Brand. But tell us, who would you like to see take the role? If you have any casting choices, be sure to leave them down below.
