“WILL RETURN” is a phrase Marvel fans are very acquainted with. Anytime it’s promised a character will be back for the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every movie ends with the line so-and-so “will return.” Often, the credit stingers give a time, a date, or the exact film where the comeback takes place.
After Captain America: Civil War, Marvel teased that exact thing with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. He starred in his first adventure in Homecoming a year later and the rest is history – with billions of dollars to the franchise's credit.
However, those two little words aren’t always a surefire guarantee someone still has a part to play in the MCU. Other teases either haven’t delivered or were a little vague about their conditions. Though we were told Star-Lord and Captain Marvel would return in their recent respective outings, it’s been years with nothing to show for either promulgation.
Samuel L. Jackson confirms Nick Fury's MCU return in Avengers: Secret Wars
In those cases, the wait is taking longer than expected, and this speed bump is in no way restricted to Peter Quill and Carol Danvers. Nick Fury is also waiting in the wings unseen, and has been since The Marvels – much like Danvers and Monica Rambeau – and Secret Invasion.
Before now, it wasn’t clear when the SHIELD Director would be back in action or advising whatever team occupies Avengers Tower. Now we know, but unfortunately, the wait is going to last a little longer.
Samuel L. Jackson, who has portrayed Fury since 2008, confirmed in a recent interview with The Direct that he will put the eye patch on again for Avengers: Secret Wars – telling the outlet that he will return in the "Next movie... [The] movie after this one." And that means that he is sitting out the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday this Christmas. It’s all hands on deck across the Multiverse, but the heroes will be short a mentor and strategist.
As Jackson said, Marvel’s message to him was simple: He would be in the in the one after the upcoming release. The actor added he is in the dark about the plot and doesn’t know what he will be doing. So it seems Marvel is keeping everything under lock and key.
To prevent leaks and spoilers? Perhaps. Because their plans are as elastic as Reed Richards and as mutable as an Avengers lineup? Also quite possible.
Unforeseen missteps and misdeeds prevented Kang from being the next big threat despite the apropos time and effort the studio invested to make his presence varied and meaningful. Doctor Doom (played by Marvel legend Robert Downey Jr.) is, by far, the most fitting replacement, so that problem is solved, hopefully.
That aside, how they will have a critical tentpole like Doomsday without Nick Fury is anybody’s guess at this stage. After all, Jackson has been involved in all four Avengers movies, with his role ranging from major character to cameo appearances. Will Doomsday be the first one that he doesn't appear at all in? We'll have to wait and see.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars vomes out exactly one year later on December 17, 2027.
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