Legend to legend, Samuel L. Jackson shared a valuable piece of advice he received from Bruce Willis during the filming of the 1994 action hit, Die Hard With a Vengeance. In a special piece celebrating Willis' 70th birthday, Jackson recounted to Vanity Fair how Willis advised him on the importance of having a signature character to return to, especially when other projects might not succeed financially. Willis pointed out that Arnold Schwarzenegger had the Terminator, Sylvester Stallone had Rocky and Rambo, and he himself had John McClane. Jackson realized the wisdom of this advice when he landed the role of Nick Fury, securing a nine-picture deal with Marvel.

Jackson first introduced audiences to Nick Fury with a cameo in the post-credits scene of 2008's Iron Man. He fully embraced the role in 2010's Iron Man 2 and has since portrayed the character in 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His most recent appearances 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.

In a light-hearted moment, Jackson reflected on his initial concerns about completing his nine-film contract before his time was up. Speaking to GQ in September 2024, he admitted to wondering how long he would need to stay alive to fulfill the deal. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the rapid pace of Marvel's production schedule, which churned out nine movies in just two-and-a-half years. Jackson humorously noted, "Oh s—t, I'm using up my contracts!" but acknowledged that it all worked out in the end.