Bruce Willis' Advice to Samuel L. Jackson Realized in MCU's 9-Movie Nick Fury Deal

In a fascinating exchange of wisdom between Hollywood legends, Samuel L. Jackson shared a valuable piece of advice he received from Bruce Willis while filming the 1994 action blockbuster, Die Hard With a Vengeance. Willis imparted a strategy for longevity in the film industry, suggesting that having a beloved character to return to can be a career lifeline during less successful periods.

"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 special feature celebrating 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 didn't fully grasp the advice until he landed the role of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, securing a nine-picture deal.

Jackson first introduced audiences to Nick Fury in a post-credits scene in 2008's Iron Man. He then fully embraced the role in 2010's Iron Man 2. Since then, Jackson has reprised the character in 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His most recent portrayals include the 2023 film The Marvels, the series Secret Invasion, and a voice role in the Season 2 finale of the animated series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Reflecting on his Marvel journey, Jackson humorously questioned his longevity in a 2024 interview with GQ. "I knew I had a nine-picture deal when Kevin [Feige] said, 'We wanna offer you a nine-picture deal.' I was like, 'How long I gotta stay alive to make nine movies?'" he recalled. Unaware of the rapid pace of Marvel's production schedule, Jackson was surprised to find himself quickly working through his contract. "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."