The Captain Marvel Scene You Likely Didn't Know Was Improvised
Actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are famously known for their improvisation skills. From Robert Downey Jr.'s "I love you 3000," to Tom Holland's "I don't want to go," and Dave Bautista's "Why is Gamora?" there are plenty of moments in the MCU where actors ad-libbed their way out of a scene.
Here's another! "Captain Marvel," which tells the story of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a U.S. Air Force officer who gets her powers after an experimental light-speed engine test goes terribly wrong, has a hilarious scene that you probably didn't know was improvised. In the movie, Skrulls — the green-skinned elf-like alien race are seen arriving on Earth, and a shapeshifting attack breaks out. In one of the fight sequences, the humans and the aliens shoot at each other, and one of the Skrulls who had been impersonating Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) is killed.
What comes after is a laugh-out-loud improvisation from Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) as he engages in a rather intimate study of the dead Skrull.
It Was Samuel L. Jackson's Idea
"Captain Marvel" was set in 1995. So we saw a less intense Nick Fury, in the years before he became the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. It was pretty amusing to see how the character worked before transforming into the tough-as-nails boss we know him to be. In the director's commentary for the movie's home release, "Captain Marvel" directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck revealed some intriguing "Captain Marvel" trivia, including one about the strange autopsy scene where a dead Skrull is being looked at.
In the brief scene, the dead Skrull is splayed on the table while Nick Fury, a S.H.I.E.L.D operative, and a medical examiner take a look at him. After the doctor leaves, Fury lifts the white sheet concealing the alien's lower body ... and takes a peek at the naked alien. The scene earned laughs from MCU enthusiasts, given how casually Samuel L. Jackson responded after looking at the Skrull.
Boden and Fleck later revealed to ComicBook that the moment was entirely improvised by Samuel L. Jackson. It wasn't in the script — but the filmmakers decided to keep it because it was funny.
"Sam just did this," said Boden.
"He just did this, and we kept it in because we thought it was pretty funny," Fleck added.
Nick Fury usually works in the shadows and turns up occasionally when the Avengers need him, but in "Captain Marvel," it was amazing to see his goofy personality shine through ... even if it meant that the character was looking at alien junk.
Jackson was cast in the MCU in "Iron Man" (2008) and has continued to stick around, reprising his role in various superhero movies. He will return as the character, once again, in the sequel to "Captain Marvel," titled "The Marvels."