Samuel L. Jackson discusses ‘Avengers,’ Nick Fury, comics and the set
“The Avengers” pushed past $1.5 billion in worldwide box office receipts after a strong Labor Day weekend re-release. The cast is certain to return for the 2015 sequel and at the head of that list is Samuel L. Jackson who plays the organizer of the Avengers team, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.
Speaking with Australian outlet The Age in an interview released on Thursday, Jackson details filming on “The Avengers” and working with director Joss Whedon.
“Joss Whedon is very good at what he does. He’s incredibly smart, and he’s a great director and writer. The script was constantly evolving. We would get eight or nine pages, and two days later he would say, ‘I was thinking about that… Now it should be this.’ Once you look at it all on screen, it all comes together – and it’s very nice.”
Whedon has been praised for his expertise in comic books, the characters, understanding how each character behaves in a unique way to form Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Jackson gives us a peak at his experiences with this approach.
Actors like to come in, look at the script and then say, ‘I’m going to make this mine.’ So I’d start saying words and then Joss comments, ‘Wait a minute… That’s not what I wrote in the script.’ He wanted us to say exactly the same words that he wrote because that’s how these comic book characters talk. He only had to tell me once and I got it right away. He understands the language of comic books and that’s how we needed to sound.”
From “Iron Man,” “Incredible Hulk” and “Thor” cameos, Jackson’s Nick Fury is a key component to pull the superteam together. Jackson has been open about following the comics.
“I’ve been reading the Fury comics since I was a kid. I remember when it was Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos in the War World II war comic books. That’s when I was introduced to him, and then I moved on. Then all of a sudden, I pick up an Avengers comic book and I was like, ‘Hey, that’s me!’ It’s amazing. It’s great.”
The “Snakes on a Plane” star describes working with the different actors, both on “Avengers” and other projects. One of the key elements, says Jackson, was the atmosphere on the set.
“There was a big family feeling on set. Joss set up the rules, and we showed up and played by the rules. We had a great time doing that and it was cool to be in that space where we could show the audience that these guys have superpowers, but they have normal attitudes, too. They get annoyed with each other and they argue about petty stuff. They can be smart asses, they can be heroes and they can also be jerks – but they all eventually find a way to love each other.”
The release of “Avengers”on Blu-ray/DVD is set for September 25 with 30 minutes of additional deleted scenes and featurettes.
“Avengers” also stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Chris Evans as Captain America and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
