Why Nick Fury started to look like Samuel L. Jackson in 2001

Mark Millar the writer of Marvel's Ultimates explains why, without permission he used Samuel L. Jackson's as the model for his version of Nick Fury starting back in 2001 to Business Insider. Read his explanation below.

[SOURCE] I wanted an African-American Nick Fury to be director of SHIELD because the closest thing in the real world to this job title was held by Colin Powell at the time. I also thought Nick Fury sounded like one of those great, 1970s Blaxploitation names and so the whole thing coalesced for me into a very specific character, an update of the cool American super-spy Jim Steranko had done in the 70s and based on the Rat Pack, which seemed very nineteen sixties and due for some kind of upgrade.

Sam is famously the coolest man alive and both myself an artist Bryan Hitch just liberally used him without asking any kind of permission. You have to remember this was 2001 when we were putting this together. The idea that this might become a movie seemed preposterous as Marvel was just climbing out of bankruptcy at the time. What we didn’t know was that Sam was an avid comic fan and knew all about it.

Lando Calrissian getting his own limited run comic book!

The smooth-talking scoundrel strikes back! Marvel and Lucasfilm announced today that Lando Calrissian — puffer pig collector, Cloud City administrator, and Rebel hero — will star in his own limited series. Lando #1, from creators Charles Soule (Death of Wolverine, Inhuman, She-Hulk) and Alex Maleev (Daredevil, Spider-Woman, Moon Knight), hits stores in July, and finds Lando embarking on his greatest caper ever.

In Marvel’s Lando, developed closely with Lucasfilm, the titular character — in the days before he became a hero, but still with Lobot at his side — looks to steal one of the galaxy’s most valuable ships. But, as usual, he may be in over his head.

Read more: LANDO #1 COMING IN JULY FROM MARVEL – EXCLUSIVE!

Mike Colter Cast as Luke Cage

[SOURCE] Mike Colter has been cast in the role of Luke Cage on the upcoming Netflix series “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones.”

“Mike embodies the strength, edge and depth of Luke Cage,” said “Jessica Jones” Executive Producer and Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. “We’re excited to have him bring this iconic Marvel character to life.”

“Fans have longed to see Luke Cage brought, and in Mike we’ve found the perfect actor,” said Jeph Loeb, executive producer and Marvel’s head of television. “Viewers will get to meet Luke Cage in ‘Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones,’ and experience why he is such an important super hero in the Marvel mythos.”

Colter, who currently stars on “Halo: Nightfall,” has also appeared on “The Good Wife” and “American Horror Story: Coven.” “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.

The new Captain America will be an African American.

Cue the fan boy outrage. Why? Marvel's most iconic and arguably most "American" hero will now be African American. That hero is Captain America.

[ SOURCE The new Captain America will be an African American.

Superhero Sam ‘‘The Falcon’’ Wilson will take over as the patriotic Avenger in an upcoming installment of the long-running comic book series, Marvel Comics chief creative officer Joe Quesada said Wednesday during an appearance on Comedy Central’s ‘‘The Colbert Report.’’

Wilson first appeared as winged superhero Falcon in 1969 and was one of the first African-American superheroes.

The change will come this November in ‘‘All-New Captain America’’ No. 1. The character was recently portrayed by actor Anthony Mackie in the film ‘‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’’

'Captain America' superhero role 'epic' for Anthony Mackie

For Anthony Mackie, landing the role of the Falcon in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" meant more than inking his dream deal with Marvel.

"When I heard I got the role I broke down in tears," said Mackie in a recent interview. "I realized two years from that date some little brown boy was going to be at my door in a Falcon costume on Halloween. When I was a kid I didn't have that. It wasn't like I could get asked, 'Who do you want to be for Halloween?' and say Shaft. Being the Falcon is monumental."

Roughly six months before filming began on "The Winter Soldier" in April 2013, directors Anthony and Joe Russo offered Mackie a role in the comic-book adaptation.

"It was epic," recalls Mackie, who admits he didn't know much about the character Sam Wilson, who becomes the Falcon, one of the first African-American superheroes in a mainstream comic.

"I read up on him and immediately got into the gym," he added with a laugh. "I thought if I am wearing that much spandex I have to be in shape."

When "The Winter Soldier" hits theaters Friday, it will likely become the role for which the 35-year-old Mackie is most known. But it was his portrayal of a bomb disposal team sergeant in Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning war thriller "The Hurt Locker" that paved the way for mainstream success.

Read more here: 'Captain America' superhero role 'epic' for Anthony Mackie