Samuel L. Jackson Signed His First Marvel Offer for Nine Movies and Wondered: ‘How Long Do You Have to Stay Alive to Make Nine Movies?’

Samuel L. Jackson participated in a career retrospective interview for GQ magazine and admitted that he was shocked by the speed that Marvel raced through his initial nine-picture deal. Jackson agreed to Marvel’s initial offer to play Nick Fury in nine movies, starting with a cameo appearance at the end of 2008’s “Iron Man.” He has since starred in a dozen Marvel movies, including multiple “Avengers” movies and standalone tentpoles like “Iron Man 2” and “The Marvels.”

“I knew I had a nine-picture deal,” Jackson said. “[Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] said that: ‘We’re going to offer you a nine-picture deal.’ How long do you have to stay alive to make nine movies? It’s not the quickest process in the world. I didn’t know they were going to make nine movies in like two and a half years. That’s kind of crazy! Oh shit, I’m using up my contracts. It worked out.”

Related Stories

VIP+

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Success Doesn’t Downplay Risky Reboots Coming to Theaters

Sun Valley Film Festival Shifts From March to December (EXCLUSIVE)

Jackson previously told the Los Angeles Times that he’s never lost interest in his Nick Fury role and that he’d rather make billion dollar-grossing Marvel movies than win Oscars or chase down Oscar-baiting roles.

“As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago, it wasn’t a big deal for me,” Jackson said. “I always have fun going to the Oscars. I always look forward to getting a gift basket for being a presenter. I give stuff to my relatives; my daughter and my wife would take stuff out. It’s cool. … But otherwise, I was past it.”

Jackson added, “I was never going to let the Oscars be a measure of my success or failure as an actor. My yardstick of success is my happiness: Am I satisfied with what I’m doing? I’m not doing statue-chasing movies. You know: ‘If you do this movie, you’ll win an Oscar.’ No, thanks. I’d rather be Nick Fury. Or having fun being Mace Windu with a lightsaber in my hand.”

Jackson’s tenure as the Marvel super agent also included headlining his very own Disney+ series “Secret Invasion.” Watch Jackson’s full interview in the GQ video below.