Tonight’s Monday Night Football introduction took a marvelous approach. Not only was the clip narrated by Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson, it featured a parody of the Marvel Studios logo and plenty of verbiage that elicites feelings and reminders of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Nothing is inevitable,” Jackson’s narration begins, a callback to Thanos’ trademark “inevitable” talking point. “But some things are meant to be because they are made to happen by men of will…They set a course, a collision course, and somewhere along the path, abilities turn into powers.” His powerful words are accompanied by Marvel-like illustrations as well to hammer them home.
Jackson continues, “Athletes become icons, mortals become myths. Leaders on united teams, heroes to legions of followers. It isn’t destiny, but desire that brought them this far. To meet face to face, force to force, on Monday Night Football.” You can watch the full video in the player below!
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This isn’t the first time that ESPN’s Monday Night Football has used assets from their fellow The Walt Disney Company property Marvel. Previously the broadcast cut a special video for Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, using quotes from Captain America: The Winter Soldier and comparing the NFL Most Valuable Player to the titular antagonist, right down to the “metal arm.”
“There is no way to stop them.”
Narrated by: @SamuelLJackson pic.twitter.com/zXzzDDtAuH
— ESPN (@espn) September 28, 2020
Jackson remains a committed member of the Marvel Studios family and even after appearing in multiple feature films is set to return as Nick Fury once again. Last week brought the news that the former Director of SHIELD will headline his own show on Disney+, joining shows like Hawkeye, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight. The news comes well over a decade after Jackson’s first appearance in Iron Man and was the glue that held the Marvel movies together before the characters united in Marvel’s The Avengers in 2012. He recently served as a major bridge between the main Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony’s Spider-Man movies.
The report on Jackson’s new solo series revealed that former Mr. Robot and Berlin Station executive producer Kyle Bradstreet is attached to write and executive produce the Marvel Studios series. It’s unclear at what point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe the new series will be set as fans have been able to see Fury throughout the timeline. His appearance in Captain Marvel showed him in the 1990s, still sporting two eyes, while the recent Spider-Man: Far From Home saw him vacationing in space after the events of Avengers: Endgame.
