Merrick here...


Remember the hubbub leading up to the release of IRON MAN?

First we were told Samuel L. Jackson would appear in the film as Nick Fury. Then we were told he wouldn't. Then we learned that he does show up in the movie...very briefly...but you have to wait through the entire closing credit roll to see him.

The idea was, of course, that Jackson's appearance as Fury would serve to perpetuate an AVENGERS spinoff which would incorporate Tony Stark/Iron Man. Now, it seems, strangeness is afoot in this regard.

"I saw ['Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, 'I hope things are working out for you because we're writing stuff for you.' Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren't really working that well."
[EDIT]
"There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], 'We're not making that deal.'"

...said Sam per THIS DISCUSSION with The Los Angeles Times.

The L.A. Times does specify that Marvel's official stance is that negotiations with Jackson are "active", but also considers this a "boilerplate response".

Will we see a recast Nick Fury in IRON MAN 2 (cue Shia LaBeouf)? Has Fury been shown the door completely? Does this news portend a change of approach re: Marvel's plans to cross pollinate movie franchises, culminating in THE AVENGERS? Or, is this merely a bump on the road to Sam's eventual return as Fury?

Stay tuned...