The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for over a decade, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Marvel Studios introduced serialized storytelling to the world, with countless cinematic universes following suit in the years since Iron Man arrived on the scene. Spider-Man: Far From Home marks the whopping 23rd movie in the franchise, and the universe has never felt more interconnected than before.
Samuel L. Jackson has been there to see it all (albeit with one eye), as his character Nick Fury appeared at the end of Iron Man, teasing the larger world out there. CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell recently spoke to Jackson about his role in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where the Oscar nominated actor explained why he thought the MCU has continued being such a successful experiment in filmmaking. Check out their conversation below.
Well, he's not wrong. Because while the Marvel Cinematic Universe always includes plenty of spectacle and pulse pounding action, each blockbuster tells a very human story. The heroes of the world are flawed and funny, allowing audiences to connect with characters who are super powered and dealing with situations we truly can't comprehend.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe essentially started when Tony Stark revealed his superheroic identity in the final moments of Iron Man. This is in stark juxtaposition to the typical MO of heroes, who balance a secret true identity and a masked mantle. By having the majority of Marvel's stars live publicly as their superheroic identity, the humanity of each character is able to rise to the top of the narrative.
Later in his conversation with CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell, Samuel L. Jackson also addressed the clever ways that the MCU has made each superpowered hero vulnerable. They've each met circumstances and villains that expose their human nature, and have the potential to kill them. That's what makes each victory so satisfying; the characters are vulnerable and usually suffer some cost to beat the bad guy.
Samuel L. Jackson also explicitly mentions that not all heroes make it out alive, in direct reference to the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. The Russo Brothers' set of blockbusters had very high stakes, and plenty of characters perished during Thanos' assault on the galaxy. Spider-Man: Far From Home is the first movie that follows up the events of Endgame, and things do feel decidedly more serious after the events of that epic blockbuster.
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Nick Fury helped to kickstart the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it should be interesting to see how the character is utilized in Phase Four. Samuel L. Jackson has played his cycloptic character in 11 movies, to varying degrees. But he was also left out of certain projects like Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther. The fans love Fury, so hopefully he'll remain a major presence in the franchise.
You can catch Samuel L. Jackson reprise his role as Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
