Marvel Officially Announces Nick Fury's New MCU Job - Here's What It Means
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has returned to the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-"Avengers: Endgame." He appears in the post-credits scene of "Spider-Man: Far From Home," finally gets an MCU spotlight all his own on the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion," and he seems to have a prominent role in "The Marvels." With his old organization, S.H.I.E.L.D., very much a thing of the past as of Phase Five, it's safe to say that Fury's professional life looks a lot different than it did only a few years ago. He even has a new job title to match.
With "The Marvel" careening toward its big screen debut, Marvel Studios sent a press release to promote the film. Within it, we've learned what Fury's new job is now that he's no longer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He's now the Director of S.A.B.E.R., a covert aerospace defense system put together by humans and Skrulls after the infamous Blip that wiped out half of all life in the universe. The S.A.B.E.R. Space Station is where Fury is seen in "Far From Home" and in promotional material for "The Marvels."
This is all well and good for Fury, who has devoted so much time and effort to keeping the world as safe as possible, but what does S.A.B.E.R. mean for his future and that of the MCU?
Does S.A.B.E.R. hint at more cosmic threats in the MCU's future?
As mentioned previously, the construction of the S.A.B.E.R. Space Station came to pass after Thanos (Josh Brolin) acquired all six Infinity Stones and annihilated countless lifeforms across the stars. Naturally, this left those on Earth with the ability to do so, eager to create a defense mechanism to thwart any future attacks. Nick Fury leading the operation is the right move, given his experience in covert operations, knowledge of extraterrestrial life, and close proximity to the Avengers. At the same time, one has to question if Fury's reemergence and his new space station serve as a collective Chekhov's Gun. Does their narrative presence indicate that more massive cosmic threats are coming to the MCU? If so, what could they be up against?
With "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" on the horizon, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) is the next major villain the Avengers and other heroes will have to face. With his seemingly infinite variants throughout time and space, all with different levels of power, Fury and S.A.B.E.R. could have their hands full as the MCU Earth's first line of defense.
Assuming they can handle Kang and his variants, numerous other major dangers are out there capable of testing their mettle. The planet-devouring Galactus, the Beyonders, who wield vast cosmic power and reside outside of the multiverse, and more are all fair game to appear in the MCU in some form. Hopefully, for the people of Earth, S.A.B.E.R. and Fury will be ready when they arrive.
We'll have to wait and see what the minds at Marvel Studios have in store for S.A.B.E.R. Director Nick Fury as his MCU journey continues into the Multiverse Saga.