Oh, now this is cool. Samuel L. Jackson will reportedly play Nick Fury in the upcoming "Iron Man" movie.Marvel mavens will connect with this rumor immediately, as Jackson's likeness was used (with permission) for the revamped Fury character in Mark Millar and Brian Hitch's superb "The Ultimates" series, which just recently completed its second thirteen-issue run (Jeph Loeb and Joe Madureira will be taking over). Here are some typically breathtaking pages for the uninitiated, and you know who you are.
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963's "Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos", a WW2 series that was basically Marvel's "Sgt. Rock". He appeared later, as "Bond"mania was enchanting the world, in the then-"modern day" "Fantastic Four" as the leader of the high-tech espionage agency SHIELD (Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate, originally Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division) to battle Cold War villains and assorted nogoodnicks from the Marvel universe. Fury sported a distinctive eye patch, cigar, and was caucasian in his initial incarnation. Comics continuity is always a little wonky--even today, some Marvel titles portray him in his original style.
(Few will remember that David Hasselhoff first portrayed Fury in the little-seen 1998 TV pilot "Nick Fury, Agent Of Shield", which was adapted by David Goyer, who obviously went on to better comics adaptations.)
Read all about it here at Cinematical.
