Nick Fury Will Sit Out ‘Doomsday’: Samuel L. Jackson Confirms Return in ‘Secret Wars’

Samuel L. Jackson has revealed his plans for his Marvel Cinematic Universe character. The actor confirmed that Nick Fury, a franchise veteran and the creator of the Avengers Initiative, will not appear in the upcoming crossover Avengers: Doomsday, set for release in December 2026. But the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t retiring: the character will return to screens a year later in the climactic Avengers: Secret Wars.

The actor shared this in an interview with the fan outlet The Direct at the premiere of the thriller The Beast. Asked about the one-eyed spy’s next appearance, Jackson admitted that the studio keeps things strictly under wraps, even in conversations with franchise veterans.

According to the actor, producers gave him only the basic outline: his character won’t be in the next Avengers film, but his contract covers the follow-up. Jackson hasn’t been shown the script for the upcoming projects, so Fury’s screen time and story role in Secret Wars remain unknown. The statement debunked numerous fan theories that Fury would help Earth’s heroes face the first wave of Doctor Doom’s threat.

The team’s architect returns after four years

Samuel L. Jackson has played Nick Fury without interruption for 18 years — since the historic post-credits scene in 2008’s very first Iron Man. He was the connective thread of Marvel’s early phases, assembling the original six defenders of Earth.

In recent years, the character has all but vanished from the big screen. His last appearance came in 2023 in the solo series Secret Invasion and the comic book movie The Marvels. Since then, the space station S.A.B.E.R. and Fury himself have stayed off-screen during the events of Phase Five.

Skipping Doomsday looks like a logical move given the scale. The first film in the two-parter, set for release on December 18, 2026, will focus on the superheroes’ clash with Doctor Doom, played by a returning Robert Downey Jr.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have saved the veteran for the grand finale. Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to premiere on December 17, 2027. The film is expected to reboot the MCU timeline, so the appearance of the man who once started the Avengers will be a fitting way to close the loop on a nearly two-decade era.