The Avengers have come a long way since their first team-up in 2012. What began as a deeply dysfunctional group trying to stop Loki eventually became an army large enough to take on Thanos, with heroes arriving from across the universe. Their next theatrical crossover has an equally daunting task ahead of it, bringing together characters whose adventures have increasingly taken them beyond the same planet, let alone the same headquarters.

That expanding roster has made every casting announcement a source of speculation. Returning actors can suggest which corners of Marvel’s universe will matter most, while an absent name leaves fans wondering whether someone is being saved for a surprise. With two Avengers movies on the schedule, however, sitting out the first doesn’t necessarily mean missing the larger event.

Samuel L. Jackson says Nick Fury will return in Avengers: Secret Wars, but he won’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Speaking on the red carpet for The Beast, Jackson indicated that his next Marvel appearance would come in the movie after the upcoming crossover. Asked what he could share about Secret Wars, the actor explained that Marvel had given him a place in the lineup without explaining the story: “I have no idea. [Marvel] hasn’t told me anything, other than, ‘You’re not gonna be in this movie. You’ll be in the next.’”

Nick Fury’s ‘Avengers’ Return Comes With a Major Unanswered Question

Jackson’s comments establish when audiences should expect Fury back, but they leave his role in the movie open. He could be coordinating heroes again, participating in a smaller mission, or dealing with the consequences of whatever happens in Doomsday. The actor’s admission that he hasn’t been told the story gives fans little reason to settle on any one explanation yet. It also makes his return just another casting update, rather than confirmation of the Battleworld storyline circulating in speculation about the sequel.

Fury’s recent appearances have taken him away from the job that originally made him so central to the MCU. Secret Invasion confronted him with the fallout of his relationship with the Skrulls, while The Marvels placed him aboard SABER alongside Carol Danvers and her new allies. Returning to an Avengers movie would put him closer to the ensemble storytelling that helped establish his importance in the first place. His ability to get powerful, difficult people working toward the same goal remains a useful skill, even when he isn’t the person throwing the punches. There’s an obvious appeal in bringing the Avengers’ founder into another enormous crossover. Fury approached Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative before most of these heroes knew one another, and his persistence helped make their first alliance possible. Whatever shape the team takes next, Jackson’s presence offers a connection to those early movies. Whether Fury actually resumes that recruiting role is something his comments don’t answer.

Avengers: Doomsday premieres in theaters on December 18, 2026, while Avengers: Secret Wars is currently scheduled for release on December 17, 2027.

via Collider