‘Captain Marvel’ Reveals First Look at Young Nick Fury

Today Marvel Studios released its first major promotional reveal for Captain Marvel, with a first look at Brie Larson in Costume, an entire gallery of photos featuring key characters from the film, and a host of new details that have some major Marvel Cinematic Universe implications. We also got one photo that’s going to be a major novelty for MCU fans: a look at a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as a younger version of Nick Fury!

Here’s the caption that was released along with the photo, over on EW:

“Captain Marvel marks Samuel L. Jackson’s ninth appearance as Nick Fury, but this Nick is a lowly S.H.I.E.L.D. desk jockey (who hasn’t yet met any superheroes). He’s younger than we’ve ever seen him (Jackson was digitally de-aged for the role), and perhaps most shocking of all, he’s missing his signature eyepatch.”

Some fans have already started making the connection between the de-aged Jackson shown in the photo above, and the actor’s Pulp Fiction heyday back in the ’90s, which is when Captain Marvel is set. Marvel Studios has gotten better with de-aging effects work as time has gone on, with Robert Downey Jr. getting significant age reduction for a key scene in Captain America: Civil War, while the Ant-Man franchise has de-aged both Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer, for key flashbacks to their Ant-Man and the Wasp days during the Cold War.

Aside from the effects work, fans are interested to see how Jackson’s “desk jockey” version of Nick Fury will differ from the suave super-spy we know and love. It would be a great chance for Jackson to have some fun with the character, hamming it up in a more comedic relief role, as Fury’s eyes get opened to the larger universe of superheroes and aliens that is out there. Indeed, his experience meeting Carol Danvers could be what ultimately sets Nick on the path to becoming the MCU ‘master of whispers’ and director of S.H.I.E.L.D. – especially if this film is tied to how he lost his eye. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Fury stated that, “The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.” A history where Fury was betrayed by a Skrull operative impersonating someone close to him would definitely fit…

Avengers: Infinity War is now available as a digital download and on Blu-ray and DVD. Ant-Man and the Wasp is now playing in theaters. Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019; Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019; Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th, 2019. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been delayed indefinitely.