Summary

  • "I recognize the Council has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.” - Nick Fury proves his steadfast personality and willingness to go against authority for the greater good.
  • “The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.” - Fury's trust issues motivate his every move, and his scars and eye-patch remain a mystery until Captain Marvel.
  • "Here we all are back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world." - Fury's quote shows that nothing will stand in the way of him and the Avengers when it comes to saving humanity.

There are several memorable Nick Fury quotes from the MCU that perfectly sum up the former Director of SHIELD and the founder of the Avengers. Samuel L. Jackson's appearance in Phase 5's Secret Invasion has made him one of the longest-running actors in the MCU since he debuted back in 2008's Iron Man. Over eleven feature film appearances and two appearances in Marvel Studios' TV shows, Nick Fury is a staple of the MCU and has been at the core of Avengers stories since before the team even formed. This lengthy career has provided the opportunity for Jackson to deliver some very memorable quotes as the enigmatic Nick Fury.

Most of the MCU's primary characters get the opportunity to make quips and one-liners, but Nick Fury is famous for his quick wit, powerful comebacks, and eloquent arguments, brought to life brilliantly by Samuel L. Jackson. Although Fury remained a mystery for many of his early MCU appearances, his roles in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Secret Invasion provided a deeper insight into his personal life and motivations. Samuel L. Jackson's delivery has made Nick Fury one of the MCU's most beloved characters, despite the often-questionable decisions he makes every time he appears in the MCU.

10 "I Recognize The Council Has Made A Decision..."

The Avengers

Nick Fury speaking to the World Security Council in The Avengers

While the Avengers fought Loki and his army in The Avengers, Nick Fury was faced with the World Security Council's decision to fire a nuclear missile at New York City. Despite the Council suggesting their decision was final, Fury retorted, "I recognize the Council has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it." This quote gives Fury the chance to prove his steadfast personality and his willingness to go against authority for the greater good. His confidence, strength, and bravery were all demonstrated at this moment, and it also provided a hilarious moment for Marvel Studios' audiences.

9 “The Last Time I Trusted Someone, I Lost An Eye”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Nick Fury speaking to Captain America in The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier explored themes of paranoia and trustworthiness more than any previous MCU project. Nick Fury found himself at the core of these themes, as HYDRA was revealed to have been growing like a parasite within SHIELD for decades. Prior to this, however, Steve Rogers criticized Fury's compartmentalization, suggesting that soldiers need to trust each other. This leads to Fury stating why he never does. Nick Fury's eye-patch and scars remained a mystery in the MCU until 2019's Captain Marvel, which seemed to retcon this line, but this quote proved that Fury's trust issues are what motivate his every move.

8 "Here We All Are Back On Earth, With Nothing But Our Wit And Our Will To Save The World.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Nick Fury speaking to the Avengers in Age of Ultron

After being presumed dead at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Nick Fury returned in Avengers: Age of Ultron to once again touch base with his team and empower them to defeat Ultron. Fury notes that the Avengers no longer have access to all the SHIELD tech they could want. This quote proves that nothing will stand in the way of Fury and the Avengers when it comes to saving humanity and that even when they're at their lowest, they're still powerful enough to take on any threat.

7 "And Did You Get What You Wanted From This Life, Even So?"

Secret Invasion

Nick Fury speaking to his wife in Secret Invasion episode 4

Secret Invasion delved deep into Fury's personal life, particularly through the investigation of Fury's previously-unknown marriage to the Skrull Varra, a.k.a. Priscilla. During Secret Invasion episode 4, Fury and Varra prepare to shoot each other, but Fury recites a poem that she had introduced him to in 2012. "And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?," begins the poem Late Fragment by Raymond Carver, leading to Varra's response, "I did... To call myself beloved. To feel myself beloved on the Earth." This poem perfectly summarizes Fury and Varra's unorthodox marriage and proves that the pair do love each other, even though they've had rocky moments.

6 “You Are Not The Center Of My Universe...”

Iron Man 2

Nick Fury speaking to Tony Stark in Iron Man 2

Back in Iron Man 2, Nick Fury was still a very unknown character in the MCU. Iron Man 2 gave him a deeper role, explaining just how much responsibility was lying on Fury's shoulders. Speaking to Tony Stark, Fury mentioned that, "You have become a problem, a problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe. I have bigger problems than you in the Southwest region to deal with." As the Director of SHIELD, Fury was evidently solving problems all over the nation but still found the time to help out a hero who he thought would be a valuable asset.

5 “You Have Made Me Very Desperate. You Might Not Be Glad That You Did.”

The Avengers

Nick Fury speaking to Loki in The Avengers

Loki posed a huge threat to the Avengers in the MCU's Phase 1, but he was quickly captured in The Avengers. Fury responds to Loki suggesting he is desperate by stating, "How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can’t hope to control, you talk about peace, and you kill ‘cause it’s fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did." Fury putting Loki in his place proves just how much Fury cares about the safety of those around him and is made all the better as Fury and the Avengers later defeat Loki fairly easily.

4 “I May Not Know When A Skrull Is Pretending To Be A Human...”

Secret Invasion

Nick Fury speaking to Sonya Falsworth in Secret Invasion episode 1

Fury returned in Secret Invasion after a very lengthy absence from the MCU, returning to Earth to deal with a Skrull rebellion. This brought him face-to-face with Olivia Colman's Sonya Falsworth, who he questioned about the impending Skrull invasion. When she tries to hide information from him, he states, "You know, I may not know when a Skrull is pretending to be a human, but I sure as hell know when a human is lying." This quote lets audiences know that, even though Fury has been away for a while, he's still the same perceptive and mysterious Fury that viewers grew to love in the early days of the MCU.

3 "I'm Nick Fury. Even When I'm Out, I'm In."

Secret Invasion

Nick Fury getting fired in Secret Invasion episode 2

Although Secret Invasion is one of the lowest-rated MCU projects, it did include several brilliant quotes delivered by Nick Fury. One of which came during Secret Invasion episode 2, during which Rhodey approached Fury to fire the former Director of SHIELD after the debacle in Russia. Angered by this, Fury incapacitates Rhodey's guard before proclaiming, "I'm Nick Fury. Even when I'm out, I'm in." This was a very powerful moment for Fury, as it began to tease his full return to form in Secret Invasion, and proved that he wouldn't let anything stop him from bringing the Skrull rebellion to its knees, not even the Skrull Rhodey.

2 "I’m Here To Talk To You About The Avengers Initiative."

Iron Man

Nick Fury teasing Avengers in Iron Man post-credits scene

Nick Fury's initial introduction into the MCU was one of Iron Man's best moments. Debuting in Iron Man's post-credits scene, Fury approached Tony Stark in his mansion shortly after he revealed Iron Man to the world. Fury stated, "I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative," teasing the formation of the iconic team from Marvel Comics in the MCU's first project. Fury was pivotal to the formation of the Avengers, and he would later appear in Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, teasing their inclusion in the team too. As the first post-credits scene in the MCU, this moment set the precedent for every subsequent MCU project.

1 "There Was An Idea..."

The Avengers

Nick Fury giving his there was an idea speech in The Avengers

The Avengers brought the titular team together under the watchful eye of Nick Fury and SHIELD. Following Phil Coulson's tragic demise, Fury revealed his plans for the Avengers to the team, leading to his now-legendary speech: "There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could." At this moment, Nick Fury inspired the Avengers to be something better, and this inspiration would continue in each of their future adventures.