On this bonus episode of the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes back Paul Eaton to review and discuss the 1998 made-for-tv movie Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD.
Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury in the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series Secret Invasion, so we saw it fitting to discuss the original on-screen Nick Fury portrayal to get us in the mood and remind everyone on how amazing Jackson is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe role.
Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD debuted on Fox on May 26, 1998 starring David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury, Lisa Rinna as Contessa Valentina ‘Val’ Allegra De Fontaine, Sandra Hess as Andrea Von Strucker / Viper, Neil Roberts as Alexander Goodwin, and Pierce Garry Chalk as Timothy Aloysius ‘Dum-Dum’ Dugan.
Additionally, Tom McBeath appeared as SHIELD Director General Jack Pincer, Ron Canada as Gabriel Jones, Adrian G. Griffiths as Clay Quartermain, Peter Haworth as Dr. Arnim Zola and Campbell Lane as Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker.
Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD was written by David S. Goyer and directed by Rod Hardy on a $6 million production budget. It was first intended to be a backdoor pilot for a possible TV series. Goyer went on to write the Blade trilogy, The Dark Knight trilogy, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Hardy went on to direct many other projects including Powers based on the comics by Brian Michael Bendis.
Reception to the film was largely negative, with praises for its performances such as that of David Hasselhoff, but criticism for lack of execution and dialogue.
In the film Agent Nick Fury is asked to fight the menace of Hydra after exiling himself in the Yukon since the end of the Cold War.
The long forgotten film celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 26 with very little fanfare. Thank you Samuel L. Jackson for becoming the Agent of SHIELD we all needed.
