Samuel L. Jackson may now be in his 70s, but the Hollywood icon isn't slowing down, with several upcoming movie and TV projects in the works. Jackson has been acting in movies and TV shows since the 1970s, but it wasn't until the 1990s that he rocketed to superstardom, thanks to the immortal role of Jules Winfield in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. In the decades since, Jackson has become a full-fledged iconic figure, a welcome face that fans are happy to see pop up in dozens of projects.
Over the course of his long career, Jackson has been eaten suddenly by a shark in Deep Blue Sea, been taken out by raptors in Jurassic Park, told rapists to burn in Hell in A Time to Kill, become Bruce Willis' supervillain archenemy in Unbreakable, fought lightsaber duels as Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels, and of course, had it with the titular reptiles in Snakes on a Plane. And that's just scratching the surface. Jackson most recently played a major role in Spiral: From the Book of Saw, where he got to yell his trademark "mother******" at Jigsaw.
That's all in addition to Jackson's ongoing role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he'll presumably keep playing until if and when he no longer wants to. While there aren't any upcoming MCU movies that Fury is confirmed for yet, Jackson does have some other projects on the horizon.
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (June 16, 2021)
A sequel to the 2017 sleeper comedy hit The Hitman's Bodyguard, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard sees Ryan Reynolds return as the titular harried bodyguard Michael Bryce, with Samuel L. Jackson reprising the role of Darius Kincaid, the titular hitman. Salma Hayek is also back as Darius' wife Sonia, who as the title implies, has a much larger role to play in the sequel. New to the mix is Antonio Banderas as villain Aristotle Papadopolous, whose efforts to take out Darius necessitate a reunion between him, Sonia, and uneasy ally Michael.
The Protege (August 20, 2021)
Formerly titled The Asset, The Protege is directed by Casino Royale's Martin Campbell, and focuses on Anna Dutton, an assassin played by Maggie Q. Anna was raised by another assassin named Moody, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who took her in after she was orphaned. The two worked as a team for years, but when Moody himself gets taken out - which isn't a spoiler, as the synopsis gives it away - Anna has to face down his killer, a man named Rembrandt, played by returning Batman actor Michael Keaton. Gong Li (Mulan) was at one point set to play Anna, before she exited and Q took over.
What If...? (TV)
Yet another MCU-related project set to call Disney+ home, What If? is an animated show that takes a look at what might happen if major events in the MCU had occurred differently, or major characters gone down different paths. Jeffrey Wright, who's also set to join the DC world as the oft-recast Jim Gordon in 2022's The Batman, will narrate the series as The Watcher. Many MCU characters will be voiced by their movie actors, and Samuel L. Jackson will be among the returnees, reprising the role of Nick Fury. Plot details are still pretty scarce, but What If has a tentative premiere timetable of August 2021.
Blazing Samurai
Blazing Samurai, tentatively slated for release sometime in 2021, will give Samuel L. Jackson another chance to show off his voice acting skills. Starring cat and dog characters, Blazing Samurai is a sort of remake of Mel Brooks' comedy classic Blazing Saddles. It stars Michael Cera as Hank, a dog who dreams of becoming a samurai but gets bamboozled by a cat warlord named Ika Chu (Ricky Gervais) into becoming the samurai sheriff of a rundown town. Luckily, Hank is trained for the gig by Jimbo (Jackson), a formerly esteemed cat samurai who's seen his stock fall. The two form the first known real friendship between a cat and dog, presumably causing mass hysteria.
Secret Invasion (TV)
Another MCU show on the way to Disney+, Secret Invasion will adapt the legendary Marvel Comics arc of the same name, albeit tailored especially for the MCU. Actual plot details are typically being kept under wraps, although Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is confirmed to lead the cast, with Ben Mendelsohn also returning as Skrull leader Talos. It remains to be seen how the story will be adjusted to accommodate the fact that the Skrulls seen to date in the MCU were in fact good guys, instead of villains as portrayed in the comics. Secret Invasion is planned for a 2022 premiere.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (TV)
Based on a novel by author Walter Mosley, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is a limited series set to run for six episodes on the Apple TV+ streaming service. Samuel L. Jackson will both star in and executive produce The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, with Mosley onboard to write the script and also executive produce. The story centers on the titular character, a 91-year-old man suffering from dementia, who after being forgotten by his family and friends is now starting to lose his own identity. That changes when Grey is given a chance to temporarily regain his memories, and use that gift to figure out the circumstances of his nephew's death. A premiere date has yet to be set.
Futha Mucka (TV)
The status of Futha Mucka is a bit unclear at this point. An animated series, the unusual premise of Futha Mucka sees Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson become close, with Reynolds developing a deep affection for Jackson that isn't reciprocated. As weird as that sounds, an animated show starring Jackson and Reynolds would definitely get a look from many, but unfortunately, Futha Mucka was planned to be shown on Quibi, the quickly defunct short video platform that has since become a societal punchline due to how spectacularly it failed. It remains to be seen if Futha Mucka has a future without Quibi.