Samuel L. Jackson defended his Marvel co-star Brie Larson during a recent interview with Rolling Stone in which the Nick Fury actor was asked about Larson being the target of toxic Marvel fans on social networks. The two actors headlined ‘Captain Marvel’ in 2019, which was criticized by trolls for featuring Larson’s superheroine in a starring role. Jackson called Larson “a stronger person than people give him credit for.”
Jackson and Larson first met while making “Kong: Skull Island,” then she cast him in a supporting role in her feature debut “Unicorn Store.” Their bond led her to consult him when Marvel Studios and Disney offered her the role of Captain Marvel.
More Variety
“We bonded during the election while we were shooting his movie when Donald Trump won,” Jackson recalled. “She was broken and I was like, ‘Don’t let them break you. You have to be strong now. Then when she got ‘Captain Marvel,’ she called me and was like, ‘They want me. in the Marvel Universe.’ Should I do it?’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah! Let’s do it!'”
Addressing Larson’s online haters, Jackson said, “She won’t let any of this destroy her. Those insane guys who hate strong women, or the fact that she’s a feminist who has an opinion and voices it? Everyone wants people to be who they want them to be. She is who she is, and she really is that.
Jackson has been a mainstay of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying Nick Fury since the post-credits scene in 2008’s ‘Iron Man’. It wasn’t until the upcoming Disney+ series ‘Secret Invasion’ that Jackson got the chance to be the head of a Marvel project. Was Jackson clamoring to lead an MCU title after so many years? Not exactly.
“My biggest concern with Marvel was trying to stop them from killing me more than anything else,” Jackson said. “I really liked the concert! When they called me to tell me what was going on, I always thought they were trying to kill me. They wouldn’t let me go to Wakanda, which upset me a bit. How could Nick Fury not know Wakanda? They said, ‘Well, you know, but you can’t go.’ I’ve always wanted to tell the story of Nick before he had these superhero friends – when he lived in the shadow world as a spy and how he connected with these people. “Secret Invasion” is not a superhero movie. It’s gritty and dark.
Jackson and Larson will reunite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe later this year with the release of “The Marvels,” in theaters Nov. 10 from Disney. “Secret Invasion” premieres June 21 on Disney+.
The best of variety
Subscribe to the Variety newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.