Nick Fury: A Portrait in Black & White

From Moviehole:

Arad confirms Willis in Nick Fury talks

Posted on Tue, 19-Jul-2005

Avi Arad, head-honcho of Marvel and anything filmatic the comic crew have done, confirmed to CHUD today that the rumours of Bruce Willis donning the eye-patch of one "Nick Fury" are on the money.

"I think he is interested. We are talking", says Arad.

Arad says he sees the "Nick Fury" series as a Yankie take on 007. "Nick Fury to me always was, there’s no American James Bond. James Bond is an incredible franchise based on what a British 007 would be, but you don’t have a franchise based on what an American guy would be with the same job, belief, everything. That’s Nick Fury. So if you do him right, no one will care what it is based on if it’s good."

Set-up at Paramount, the movie tells of Marvel comic character, Nick Fury, the director of an international espionage organization called S.H.I.E.L.D, who are constantly going up against rogues like the wicked Hydra.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Fury first appeared in the comic "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" in May 1963. The eye-patched adorned, cigar-chompin hero was later transformed into a James Bond type.

'Fury' first hit the screen in 1998, as a lacklustre David Hasselhoff vehicle. The rework is due for release in 2007, at the earliest.

OK, I can definitely see Bruce Willis as Nick Fury. But oddly enough, I can also see Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Why is that? Well, Marvel's depiction of the Agent of SHIELD -- in comic books, movies, video games, and collectibles -- has fluctuated quite a bit in the last few years.

Check out the slide show above to see what I mean.