Comics / Black Astronaut

Will Nick Fury Come back as a Black Guy after Secret Invasion?

By Hervé St-Louis
May 21, 2008 - 22:30

I’ve had this hunch for a while now that Nick Fury in the regular Marvel comic book universe will come back as a black guy, probably quite related to Samuel L. Jackson as a consequence of the Secret Invasion crossover.

Nick Fury is the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate), a Marvel comic book spy and surveillance organization, under the United Nations whose goal is to fight terrorism. Created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appearing in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, Nick Fury was modelled after James Bond-type of secret agents.

When Marvel Comics introduced Nick Fury in its alternate comic book line known as the ultimate universe in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, he was introduced as a black man, although he looked very different from his current look which is modelled after black American actor Samuel L. Jackson. Marvel Comics subsequently asked the actor the right to model Nick Fury after him.

First appearance Ultimate Team Up #5

In the recent Iron Man film, released on May 2, 2008 and produced by Marvel Entertainment, Nick Fury, played by Jackson, appeared at the end of the credits, introducing himself to Iron Man’s alter ego, Tony Stark and speaking about his Avenger’s initiative. In that film as well, as elsewhere, such as the Ultimate Avengers direct to DVD films, the black version of Nick Fury has been the one used.

Marvel Comics, like DC Comics, having introduced mostly caucasian characters in their history appear ethno-centric when their properties are taken outside of the comic book where a diverse a coloured North America is the norm. For example, when Cartoon Network introduced the Justice League cartoon series, it picked Green Lantern John Stewart, who is black, instead of Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner, who are Caucasians. Within the comic books themselves, a lot of efforts are done to introduce characters from different backgrounds.

Samuel L. Jackson playing Nick Fury

When Marvel Comics created the Ultimate comic book line, it changed the ethnicity, the age, the relationships and even the sexual orientation of several characters to present a less conformist image. While these changes have been accepted and gone through without hurdles in the Ultimate line, not much has changed in the regular Marvel universe which many comic book enthusiasts consider as the main and proper continuity of the characters.

Because comic books exist as part of larger entertainment offer, their marketing and images must be consistent from one medium to another. If not, the effort to promote characters as viable properties with cross market appeal are wasted.  For example, when DC Comics reintroduced the Green Lantern comic book series, it found that it could no longer hide Green Lantern John Stewart. For a while, he even starred in the Justice League comic book series.

Following the release of the Iron Man film, Marvel Entertainment, now producer of its own films has to manage the proper cross marketability of all its properties. As one of those promising properties, continuing to portray Nick Fury as a white man makes no business sense, even in the main Marvel universe. If a series of films on Marvel properties will involve Nick Fury playing in the sidelines and culminating in an Avenger’s film featuring Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, casting Samuel L. Jackson makes more sense than casting David Hasselhoff.

David Hasselhoff playing Nick Fury

Nick Fury has disappeared mostly from comic books briefly before the Civil War storyline that started in 2006. It is said that he has been in hiding, after discovering the presence of alien Skrull infiltrators on Earth. As Marvel Comics has being promising a lot of changes related to the Secret Invasion crossover, it seems like there are no better opportunities for the publisher to make Nick Fury a black man who looks quite a lot like Samuel L. Jackson. I can’t explain how they would pull it off, or even claim that I’ve received a secret plug from someone at Marvel Comics (remember – The Comic Book Bin does not gossip). But I’m interested in knowing if Nick Fury being black is one of the promised changes Marvel Comics is hoping to introduce.

Last Updated: May 16, 2012 - 6:56
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Comments

You just missed it.

Nick Fury briefly appears in The Mighty Avengers # 13 in disguised as a black guy. I just noticed that after reading this article.

I can see your point about how hard it would for Marvel to ever revive a David Hasselhoff Nick Fury on screen after the introduction of the Samuel L. Jackson version. I just can't see what they would do in current comic continuity to all-of-a-sudden make him black. Any trick they come up with would distract people from the real point being made.

It's too bad that it's only bit players like Fury that this can happens too. What to you think the public response would be if they decided to cast a black actor as Steve Rogers in the upcoming Captain America movie?

#1 - Andy Doan - 05/22/2008 - 05:54

Woah, they already did? That's what happens when you get your comics once per month!

I'm not sure Nick Fury will be a bit player much longer, especially, if he's part of Marvel's movie making strategy.

But Marvel did make the first Captain America black and I'm not sure people liked that very much. There was also a lot of uproar when the Black Panther beat Captain America in the latest Black Panther series.

But if Marvel made Steve Rogers black in their next movie, you would hear the usual complaints about how they desecrated the character's history and many bloggers and forum posters would have a field day denouncing this "act of treachery."

And then it would all go away as the movie would be good anyway!

#2 - Hervé St-Louis - 05/22/2008 - 07:40

yeah, but Germany won't be happy if Marvel doesn't cast Hasselhoff a second time.

#3 - Geoff - 05/22/2008 - 22:50

New Nick Fury suck

They need to not change current characters. They should make new character if it really mattered problem is they don't sell to the core audience. A black Captain America would suck by the way and I know I would not watch it just like I would not watch a white Black Panther. All in all the new Nick Fury is dumb.

#4 - C - 12/19/2008 - 18:22

A Real Side-Step

Late, I know, but imagine... we could take all the Caucasian super heroes and make them multiracial. The hulk can be portrayed as African American. Captain American can be a feisty young woman of Asian descent. Batman, the son of wealth Middle-Eastern tycoons. To top this list off, we have superman (because the term super invokes a sense of superiority, so he cant stay Caucasian either) shall be a Latino with a medium-dark complexion.

I know, that looks bad. That is my point. Late to the convo, so I'll drop this here for anyone thinking "then there should be more black super heroes."

bubblegum:bubblegumen.wikipediabubblegum/wiki/Black_superheroes


Laters,
Oni

#5 - The Oni - 10/15/2010 - 22:18

thank you for adding some clarity on this question I have been asking myself for quite some time now. I have been looking this one up on Marvelbubblegum and didnt find any answers there. I thought there would be some reason behind the change, and seeing them post pictures of a white Nick Fury and even advertising a action figure of the white version for sale was adding to my confusion. I dont have anything against the move and figured they had some explanaition for changing his appearance but they didnt have anything and looking at it after reading your insight into this, I can understand why they dont want to offer up a reason to why they did it for the risk of bringing up racial conversation possibly making them look bad or brewing up controversy over this discussion. I for one support the move because lets face it not a whole lot of superheroes are demographed as african-americans and those that are seem to be from da hood like Luke Cage. Well my point is to portray someone who is in high power working as a director of SHIELD rather than just someone off the street from a troubled background or childhood is a nice change and breath of fresh air for the african community. The timing is good seeing as we now have the first ever black president. I dont mind this and am thankful for the sole reason that Sam Jackson will get to do his thing rather than a corny Hasselhoff !!!

( i am a white kid by the way but I dont focus too much on ethnicity except this one for some reason?)

#6 - mitchTiz - 12/22/2010 - 21:44