MCU: 15 most perfectly cast actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Credit: Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios for Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) — Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

8. Samuel L. Jackson

Character: Nick Fury

Nick Fury is a lot of things to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s the unwavering director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the master of The Avengers Initiative and not the kind of person you’d want to cross. But he’s also a proven leader with a bigger heart than he’d ever admit to having and a soldier who always manages to get the job done.

The task of bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s founding father to life was undoubtedly a tall one, and one that required an actor with the prowess and screen-presence to pull it off. It needed a veteran who had seen it all and still had a lot left to give. It needed Samuel L. Jackson.

When Fury first showed up at the conclusion of Iron Man, you knew that something huge was about to go down because Samuel L. Jackson practically just said so! The same could be said for his sporadic appearances in the endings of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor. However, when he finally co-headlined The Avengers, we all got to see Jackson in all his glory.

The sight of him standing there on the bridge, looking all badass with his eye-patch and trench coat is undoubtedly impressive, but what’s even more impressive is just how well he’s suited to the role. While it’s clear that Fury has an anger streak buried within him, Jackson manages to make it seem non-existent at times as the character often comes across as whimsical and relaxed. Although it may not seem like it at first, it’s incredibly authentic – Fury is well-aware of how ridiculous the world around him is becoming and, quite frankly, he’s embracing it (but never at the expense of his integrity).

Firm, authoritative and with a take-no-prisoners attitude, Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of Nick Fury is everything that the character should be and so much more.