So Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury character is the connective tissue that tethers all Marvel Studios’ characters together that culminate in Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers,” yes?
Well, yes, but he won’t be appearing in Kenneth Branagh’s “Thor,” actor Clark Gregg — who plays S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson — confirmed in a “Thor” roundtable at ComicCon this weekend.
“I feel like almost anything I say right now is going to get me evaporated by a satellite,” Gregg joked. “What we know is that a curious hammer has shown up in a crater in New Mexico. So what I can reveal without revealing much, is that Dr. Fury is otherwise engaged, and this is my operation. And I feel like I’m being given a chance to not screw it up, to earn my wings at S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Hardcore fans probably assumed as much as Coulson was the only S.H.I.E.L.D agent in New Mexico at the end of “Iron Man 2,” but now the speculation can end. We also assume this means Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character won’t be around either.
Gregg said he’s also amped to have a larger presence this time around. “I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I had a lot more stuff to do,” Gregg said about his increased screentime from his last appearance. “Definitely more, Agent Coulson gets to be in charge in this one, and that was a blast.”
Gregg made his directorial debut in 2008 with “Choke” starring Sam Rockwell and while he wouldn’t say exactly what he’s doing next he did hint that he has another directorial project in the works. “I’ve got a new dark comedy that’s perhaps as twisted as ‘Choke’ that I’m trying to put together,” he said. More from this interview soon. ‘Thor’ is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011. — Reporting by Drew Morton