Iron Man won’t be joining Spidey on his European tour in the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home, but Spider-Man will be joined by two MCU veterans even if Tony Stark doesn’t survive the end of Avengers 4. Nick Fury and Maria Hill are reportedly going to appear in the Homecoming sequel, due out next summer.
On Tuesday, Vulture reported that Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Far From Home. It’s not totally unexpected, as Jackson posted a picture of a Nick Fury business card to Instagram last month, and he was very close to a confirmed Far From Home filming location when he did it. Fans took this to be an insinuation that he’d be in the film, and it appears that’s the case.
Smulders’ participation is more of a surprise, although it makes sense. Maria Hill and Nick Fury were close confidantes when they worked together at S.H.I.E.L.D. and remained a dynamic duo even after the organization dissolved in Captain America: Civil War. The pair were last seen working together in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, when they both turned into dust following Thanos’ infamous snap. Given that they’re reportedly in the Homecoming sequel, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to stay dust. (Ditto with Spider-Man himself.)
Sony, the studio that owns the film rights to solo Spider-Man movies, was able to use Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in Homecoming, but Variety reported over a year ago that a different established hero would appear in the sequel. Nick Fury makes sense in a mentor position, especially if Peter Parker is getting into trouble overseas. Chances are the no-nonsense badass will get sick of Peter’s teen antics pretty instantaneously, which will make for a fun dynamic. Perhaps Maria Hill will be the good cop to Fury’s bad cop.
Nick Fury will next appear in Captain Marvel, where Jackson will be digitally de-aged because the film is set in the ‘90s.
Spider-Man: Far From Home opens on July 5, 2019.
