You may not remember, but in 1998 there was a little made for TV movie called Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., starring David Hasselhoff. And the Hoff says that not only is the version of the character in The Avengers less true to the original vision of Stan Lee, it was also stolen from him: he was promised after NF:AoS.H.I.E.L.D. that he’d be playing the character forever.
Careful, Mr. Hasselhoff. You’re starting to sound an awful lot like Reb Brown, who played Captain America in two ’70s made for TV movies (one of which was called Captain America II: Death Too Soon) but was better known for his starring role in Space Mutiny (as popularized by my favorite episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and got a bug up his butt after Captain America: The First Avenger came out. And worse than that: you risk the ire of Samuel L. M. F. Jackson. Says the Hoff:
I love Sam Jackson, but you know… my Nick Fury was the organic Nick Fury that was written and discussed with Stan Lee before anyone got in there to change it. Nick Fury was written to be tongue-in-cheek, and he had a cigar in his mouth, he was a tough guy — he was cool.
I’d argue that Jackson’s Nick Fury meets at least two of those four criteria.
Stan Lee said, ‘You’re the ultimate Nick Fury,’ Avi Arad, when they bought it, said, ‘Don’t worry, you’re going to be the Nick Fury forever,’ and they lied. [Pause] But that happens to me all the time. That’s when you realize life isn’t fair.
In Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury is called out of retirement to combat his old foes, Hydra, as they ransom Manhattan for $1 billion with a virus. Hasselhoff says he hasn’t seen The Avengers yet. I wonder if he’s seen Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, or Captain America: The First Avenger. Maybe he didn’t know there were scenes after the credits?
But Hasselhoff isn’t so cheesed off that he’ll refuse to work with Marvel again. “I had a blast playing Nick Fury,” he said. “And if it ever came back and Nick Fury has a brother — Dick Fury? — I’d be there.” I’d rethink the name. One Avengers porn parody is quite enough, thank you.
(via Blastr.)
