For as long as we’ve known him, Nick Fury has worn an eyepatch. When we met him in the post-credits scene of Iron Man, he emerged from the shadows wearing it and continued wearing it for the next decade and a half. It became his trademark. We never saw the eye beneath the patch, only the three-clawed scratches above his eyebrow and along the surface of his cheekbone. That is – until Secret Invasion.
Today, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is different in both appearance and demeanor. After the Avengers revived him from Thanos’ snap, he retreated to S.A.B.E.R. in outer space, choosing to let the Skrull Talos impersonate him on his behalf. The Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home was not actually him, and in the 15 movies and TV shows that followed — the entirety of Phase Four — he remained absent. Until now.
Now that he’s back, Fury doesn’t bother to cover up the milky white iris and pupil. But why? Did something happen while he was in space? Did a previous MCU movie or show explain the sudden change? It’s not the most pressing MCU matter, but for those of us who don’t cling to every Marvel detail or, say, just like continuity, the sudden change can be an eyesore. (Surely you saw that pun coming — oh, what do you know, a two-for-one.)
What happened to Nick Fury’s eyepatch and why isn’t he wearing it in Secret Invasion?
From the moment he set foot on Earth’s soil again in the season premiere of Secret Invasion, it was clear Nick Fury wasn’t the same confident, strong, powerful former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. we came to know in the first three phases of the MCU. At first glance (last one) it may even have seemed like he was healed of the scratch from Goose that blinded him in Captain Marvel, but in reality, the truth is far more depressing.
“He just doesn’t wear the patch,” said Samuel L. Jackson in an interview with Vanity Fair. “The patch is part of who the strong Nick Fury was. It’s part of his vulnerability now. You can look at it and see he’s not this perfectly indestructible person. He doesn’t feel like that guy.”
Indeed, Fury’s slumped shoulders, unkempt grey beard, and milky white eye scream less of Scar from The Lion King and more of Courage the Cowardly Dog from Cartoon Network. Of course, that’s surely part of his character arc. Come the finale of Secret Invasion, don’t be surprised to see Fury strap his eyepatch back on and say something along the lines of “Let’s get to work.”
After all, the next time we see him will be in The Marvels, and he’s fully patched up and delivering orders there. Given how depleted he seems in Secret Invasion, we’re in for a solid redemptive story arc. So no, you didn’t miss out on an important Nick Fury detail explaining the absence of his eyepatch in Secret Invasion. The guy is just going through a rough patch (oops, there it is again).
Secret Invasion is currently available to stream on Disney Plus.
Published: Jun 28, 2023 03:30 pm