In the world of cinema, legends often share wisdom that shapes the careers of their peers. Samuel L. Jackson once shared a piece of advice from Bruce Willis, given during the filming of the 1994 action blockbuster *Die Hard With a Vengeance*. Willis imparted a strategy for longevity in the industry, suggesting that having an iconic character to return to can be a career lifeline. "He told me, 'Hopefully you’ll be able to find a character that, when you make bad movies and they don’t make any money, you can always go back to this character everybody loves,'" Jackson recounted to *Vanity Fair* in a tribute to Willis' 70th birthday.
Willis used the examples of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator, Sylvester Stallone's Rocky and Rambo, and his own John McClane to illustrate his point. Jackson realized the wisdom in Willis' words when he landed the role of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "It didn’t occur to me until I got that Nick Fury role — and I had a nine-picture deal to be Nick Fury — that, 'Oh, I’m doing what Bruce said. I’ve got this character now,'" Jackson reflected.
Jackson first appeared as Nick Fury in a post-credits scene in *Iron Man* (2008), and he fully embraced the character in *Iron Man 2* (2010). Since then, he has reprised the role in 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His most recent portrayals include *The Marvels* (2023), *Secret Invasion*, and a voice role in the Season 2 finale of *Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur*.
Reflecting on his nine-picture deal with Marvel, Jackson humorously pondered his longevity during an interview with *GQ* in September 2024. "I knew I had a nine-picture deal when Kevin [Feige] said, he was like, ‘We wanna offer you a nine-picture deal,’ I was like, 'How long I gotta stay alive to make nine movies?'" he quipped. Jackson was surprised by the rapid pace of the Marvel production schedule, noting, "It's not the quickest process in the world and people don't do it, so I didn't know they were gonna make nine movies in like two-and-a-half years. Which is kind of crazy. I was like 'Oh s—t, I'm using up my contracts!' but it worked out."
