| Nick Fury | |
|---|---|
 2001 repurposed cover of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 (September 1968). Art by Jim Steranko. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (May 1963) |
| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Full name | Nicholas Joseph Fury |
| Team affiliations | |
| Partnerships | |
| Notable aliases |
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Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (May 1963), a World War II combat series that portrayed the cigar-chomping man as leader of an elite U.S. Army Ranger unit.
The modern-day character, initially a CIA agent, debuted a few months later in Fantastic Four #21 (December 1963). In Strange Tales #135 (August 1965), the character was transformed into a James Bond-like spy and leading agent of the fictional espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. The character makes frequent appearances in Marvel books as the former head of S.H.I.E.L.D., and as an intermediary between the U.S. government or the United Nations and various superheroes. It is eventually revealed that he takes a special medication called the Infinity Formula that halted his aging and allows him to be active despite being nearly a century old, later leading to him becoming The Unseen, herald of Uatu the Watcher, and forming a new team of Exiles.
Nick Fury appears in several Marvel series set in alternate universes, as well as multiple animated films, television shows, and video games based on the comics. The character was first portrayed in live-action by David Hasselhoff in the television film Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998), with Andre Braugher portraying General Hager, a character based on Fury, in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Jeff Ward also portrayed Deke Shaw, a character based on the original Fury, from the fifth to the seventh season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2017–20).[1]
A version of the character appearing in Marvel's 2001 Ultimate Marvel imprint was based on Samuel L. Jackson's appearance and screen persona.[2] When the character was introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008's Iron Man, Jackson was cast in the role,[3][4] which he has played in eleven films, the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–14), and the Disney+ series What If...? (2021) and Secret Invasion (2023).[5][6] The recognizability of the character portrayed by Jackson in the films later led Marvel in 2012 to retire the original character from his role with S.H.I.E.L.D., replacing him with his son Nick Fury Jr., who is also patterned on Jackson.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (August 12, 2020). "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast reacts to their characters' finale fates". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Larsuel, Kamal. "August 2005 Interview". Samuel L. Jackson Official Website. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
- ^ Wayland, Sara (April 19, 2010). "Samuel L. Jackson Talks Iron Man 2, Nick Fury, Captain America, Thor and The Avengers". Collider. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 25, 2009). "Jackson's Fury in flurry of Marvel films". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (September 25, 2020). "Samuel L. Jackson to Play Nick Fury in New Marvel Disney Plus Series (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ Paige, Rachel (December 10, 2020). "'Secret Invasion' Reunites Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn in New Disney+ Series". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.