Samuel L. Jackson teases a 'flawed' Nick Fury in Secret Invasion

Nick Fury is finally stepping out of the shadows.

Samuel L. Jackson's one-eyed spymaster has long been a key player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ever since he first cornered Tony Stark in the final minutes of 2008's Iron Man. Now, he's finally getting his own show, the paranoid thriller Secret Invasion, premiering Wednesday on Disney+

But when EW spoke to Jackson ahead of the series' premiere, it wasn't Fury's arc that excited him most. Instead, he said he can't wait for Marvel fans to spend time with some of the show's other major players.

"I'm the guy that everybody knows," Jackson explains. "So when [viewers] come to it, they're coming to it like: 'Oh, we're finally getting the Nick Fury series.' But they're going to be surprised because they're going to find out so much about these other people who they're going to want to know more about."

Secret Invasion boasts a stacked cast, comprised of both new and familiar faces. Some are returning Marvel alums, like Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill, Ben Mendelsohn's shape-shifting Skrull Talos, and Don Cheadle's James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Others are new to the franchise, including Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke as the Skrull G'iah, One Night in Miami… star Kingsley Ben-Adir as the villainous Gravik, and Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Fury's former ally Sonya Falsworth. (EW also has an exclusive clip from the first episode, teasing a showdown between Sonya and Fury.)

Jackson describes Nick Fury as the show's "connective tissue," and the series follows him as he tries to unravel a shape-shifting alien conspiracy. It's a new side to a character Jackson has played for about 15 years, and he says Fury is starting to show his age.

"He's flawed," Jackson adds. "He's got some psychological issues. He's got some physical issues. And the only person that doesn't know that he has these issues is Fury. Everybody else knows, like, 'Dude, you're not the same dude.'"

"It feels like there are real stakes in this show," adds Clarke. "It feels like there's a consequence to what everyone's actions are, and that keeps you, as a viewer, on the edge of your seat. The kind of urgency is there because you know that no one is going to fly in and save the day."

Secret Invasion premieres June 21 on Disney+. Watch an exclusive clip above.

Additional reporting by Sydney Bucksbaum.

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