Samuel L. Jackson on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ ‘Avengers,’ and Elizabeth Olsen

Samuel L. Jackson on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ ‘Avengers,’ and Elizabeth Olsen

By
Alexandra Cheney
CONNECT

Zade Rosenthal/Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in “The Avengers” (2012)

Coming off a debut that saw 11.9 million viewers — the highest-rated network drama in four years — ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” attempted to excite fans Tuesday night with a cameo by “The Avengers” Nick Fury.

“I’m still playing the same guy, it’s the same process,” Samuel L Jackson, who plays Fury, told the Journal Tuesday morning. “I just show up and they turn the cameras on and we do it.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D.” delivered 8.4 million viewers, impressive for 8 p.m., but down 34 percent from last week’s record-setting arrival.

In the scene, Fury chastised his underling Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) for severely damaging the agency’s aircraft, including but not limited to blowing a life raft sized hole into its hull.

After only six days, that seemed quite an accomplishment. “You know I have the authority to downgrade your a– to a Winnebago,” Fury shouted in the scene.

ABC hinted at the possibility of a Fury cameo, posting a promo on their FacebookFB +3.78% page Saturday suggesting viewers tune in through the closing credits of “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a strategy used by Marvel Entertainment for their feature films, where post-credit scenes are common.

“I don’t think we begin shooting before March of next year,” Jackson said of “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the next film to begin shooting in the Marvel universe. ”I know we’re shooting in London, that James Spader is Ultron and going to be the bad guy, and that we added Ms. [Elizabeth] Olsen [who will play the Scarlet Witch], but I don’t know what she’s doing, if she’s on the inside or the outside. I haven’t seen a script.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D.” signals Marvel Entertainment’s first live-action series since it was acquired by Walt Disney Co., and co-creator and executive producer Joss Whedon had previously told the Journal that he’s looking to incorporate the Marvel and “Avengers” big screen universe into the small screen show. The caveat for Whedon, however, is to ensure that any cameos avoid overshadowing the series’ core cast.

“We may see some people and more people from the Marvel Universe that are not cinematic. The most important people are these people [the cast],” Whedon said during the San Diego Comic-Con “S.H.I.E.L.D.” panel in July.

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