Samuel L Jackson Nick Fury
Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury in Avengers Assemble. Marvel Studios

Nick Fury is the character who tied the Marvel Cinematic Universe together until the likes of Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow teamed up in 2012's Avengers Assemble. The character hasn't been since its 2015 sequel however.

Samuel L Jackson, who plays Fury, hasn't returned yet, but will feature in 2019's Captain Marvel opposite Brie Larson in the title role. The actor is still annoyed that he won't be returning sooner in the next two Avengers films and 2018's Black Panther, though.

Speaking to Yahoo! Movies UK, Jackson said: "I wasn't in the 'superhero argument' movie [Captain America: Civil War], I'm not in Avengers 3 and 4. They're shooting them now, and they haven't called me yet.

"They wouldn't let me go to Black Panther-ville, so it's kinda like how you gonna make a black Marvel movie and not let Nick Fury show up in it?!"

His comments were made before the official announcement that Jackson would be appearing in Captain Marvel, but weren't published until this week.

Fury went into hiding after being presumed dead during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. He appeared again briefly in Avengers: Age of Ultron a year later, before going dark once again.

Nobody knows what Fury has been up to in the meantime. Given Captain Marvel will be set in the 1990s, well before any previous Fury appearance, we won't find out for some time either.

Captain Marvel is likely to show up in the modern day in Avengers 4, so perhaps Fury will appear alongside him. Jackson hasn't yet been asked to appear in the film, but with production only starting recently there's still time.

Set to release in February, Black Panther is the first solo outing for a black Marvel superhero in the MCU, and otherwise the first since Wesley Snipes portrayed vampire hunter Blade.

Creed's Ryan Coogler will direct Chadwick Boseman in the lead role, who headlines a star-studded cast including Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Angela Bassett.

Avengers 3, subtitled Infinity War, will be released on 27 April 2018, with Avengers 4 following a year later. Captain Marvel will be released two months prior to that in March 2019.

Marvel Marvel Cinematic Universe