Nick Fury is a man of many talents, and has a stunning repertoire in the Marvel universe. The military colonel-turned-super spy is the founder of the Avengers, and the director of the extra-military anti-terrorism agency S.H.I.E.L.D. Though the MCU fandom associates actor Samuel L. Jackson with the character, the truth is that Marvel's Nick Fury was an entirely different character when he was first introduced in the comics.
There are several versions of Nick Fury who have existed in the Marvel Universe, and though it’s a little overwhelming keeping tabs on all the timelines and narratives, it’s easy to see that every iteration of Fury has been an incredible spy.
How Nick Fury Lost His Eye
For a lot of MCU fans, the big question is, "What happened to Nick Fury's eye?" The story behind Fury’s lost vision is handled differently in the comics and the films. In the comic, Fury loses his eye in a Nazi grenade blast. But in the MCU, Fury is sensitive about the subject and doesn’t want to talk about why he wears an eyepatch.
It was revealed in Captain Marvel that Fury lost his eye when Goose scratched him. Despite appearances, Goose is no ordinary cat but a Flerken, a fierce alien creature that resembles an Earth cat. Though Fury doesn’t take the scratch seriously at first, it’s eventually revealed that he indeed loses his eye after his altercation with Goose.
Post-2002 Nick Fury Was Based On Samuel L. Jackson
There’s a reason why Jackson fits so seamlessly into the role of Fury. As Marvel Comics fans may be aware, the original Nick Fury was a clean-shaven white man with close-cropped hair and light scarring around the eyes.
However, when the character was bought back for the 2002 limited series comic book The Ultimates — created by Bryan Hitch and Mark Millar — his looks and personality were based on Jackson. In fact, there is even a sequence in the comic when the Ultimates discuss who would play them in a movie based on their lives and Fury says, “Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, of course, no discussion.”
Nick Fury Speaks Multiple Languages
Given the international nature of Nick Fury's work, it makes sense that he would be able to speak several languages, a skill that many other Marvel Comics characters in the spy world share with the director.
In the comics, Fury speaks Japanese, German, and Russian at the very least, though it's entirely possible he's picked up a few other languages in his travels. This helps Fury to converse with more of his agents and other organizations, a vital skill for his many secret dealings.
His Comic Storylines Inspired Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
As Nick Fury isn't one of the costumed Avengers in the MCU, a lot of his comic book storylines don't make it into the movies. They have, however, inspired Marvel shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the comic arc Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing, for example, after Fury discovers that Hydra has been controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. he scrambles to find allies from within the organization.
The same storyline played out for Phil Coulson in the first and second seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, in which Fury made a cameo appearance.
George Clooney Almost Played Nick Fury
A young Nick Fury appeared in Captain Marvel, establishing him as one of Carol's best friends in the MCU, but the character almost looked completely different. Before Samuel L. Jackson was ever a part of the franchise, George Clooney was keen to play Fury.
The actor closely matches the physical description of the original comic book Fury, and was in talks to play the character, but Clooney reportedly backed out after reading Garth Ennis' gory Fury miniseries, which features a brutal scene in which Fury chokes out a soldier with his own intestines.
Does Nick Fury Age?
Nick Fury has been a fixture of the MCU since Iron Man, and will finally take center stage in Secret Invasion. The franchise has shown that the veteran spy spent a quarter of a century recruiting superheroes and has fought alongside everyone from Captain America to Captain Marvel, which brings up the question of his age.
In Marvel Comics, Fury was 17 or 18 when he went off to serve in the Second World War, but his exact age is tricky to pin down because of the Infinity Formula. Invented by Professor Sternberg, the Infinity Formula is a drug that substantially slows down aging. Fury first used it in France when he was injured during the war, but it has to be introduced into his system every year in order to slow his aging.
He’s A Martial Arts Master
Having survived assassination attempts and been a spy for decades, it comes as no surprise that the tactical skills of Nick Fury in the MCU are based on a comic book detail. Fury is trained in many forms of martial arts and other combat styles. Not only is he a heavyweight boxer who was trained during World War II, but he is also a champion in unarmed combat.
Moreover, comic book Fury is a veteran of many wars, making him a combat expert. It was also revealed that he was trained as a Ranger, a vehicle specialist, and a Green Beret.
Nick Fury And Captain America Fought Over A Woman
It’s hard to imagine given their MCU couterparts, but in the comics, Fury and Steve Rogers once competed for a woman’s affection. Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is an international spy who got along well with Fury and quickly became his love interest.
Fontaine also had a brief fling with Rogers, leading Cap and Fury to silently compete against each other. The character has been introduced to the MCU, making a surprising cameo in Phase Four, but it remains to be seen if this version of Valentina has a romantic connection to Fury or not.
He Actually Worked With Red Skull
On both page and screen, Fury has been part of a number of shady conspiracies over the years. Though some of his past collaborations have confused the Marvel fandom, one of his weirdest moments in comic book history is when Fury joined hands with the evil and scary Red Skull, aka Johann Schmidt.
Schmidt is not only one of Marvel's craftiest supervillains, but also Cap’s biggest nemesis. The one-time head of HYDRA had dabbled in the occult, and posed a huge threat in the Second World War. Understandably, Fury’s one-time alliance with the Red Skull caused a rift between him and Cap.
Samuel L. Jackson Isn't As Good At Keeping Marvel Secrets As Nick Fury
Nick Fury may be a master keeper of secrets but Jackson was once at the center of a potentially huge Marvel movie leak. During the shooting of The Avengers in 2011, Jackson’s personal copy of the script fell into the hands of someone who leaked it online. Allegedly.
This was not the end of the ordeal though, as the unnamed leaker also tried to sell the script online to the highest bidder. There have been many leaks of MCU information over the years, but this incident remains one of the earliest and biggest breaches of privacy for the franchise.
David Hasselhoff Played Nick Fury In A TV Movie
Jackson was not the first actor to play Nick Fury, as Baywatch star David Hasselhof played the agent in the 1998 TV movie Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. The film was based on the comic book series of the same name, and also featured The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Lisa Rinna.
The film’s plot focuses on a retired Nick Fury who has to resume his professional duties to stop HYDRA from attacking New York with a deadly pathogen, and though it received poor reviews, it's interesting to see such a different take on the iconic character.
He Once Teamed Up With A HYDRA Leader's Daughter
Over the years Nick Fury has had several romantic entanglements in Marvel Comics. One of these was with Laura Brown, the daughter of HYDRA leader Arnold Brown. Although she was the HYDRA leader's daughter, though, Laura could never understand her father’s plans for world domination.
In issue #139 of Strange Tales, Laura saved Nick Fury's life when he was captured by HYDRA, and helped him escape. Fury and Laura became close allies, despite their backgrounds. In fact, when Arnold was later murdered, Fury let Laura escape so that she wouldn’t have to face criminal charges, and he even tried to get her amnesty.