Marvel Studios producer Avi Arad has confirmed that actor Bruce "Die Hard" Willis is in talks to play Marvel comic book character "NICK FURY AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.", for a big screen Paramount Pictures adaptation, slated to be released in 2007:
Arad says he sees the "Nick Fury" series as an American version of Ian Fleming's '007', 'James Bond' spy character.
Premise of the film will focus on 'Nick Fury', director of international espionage organization 'S.H.I.E.L.D' , fighting the ruthless cult-like syndicates 'Hydra' and 'AIM'.
Created by ex-WWII Sgt. Stan Lee and "Captain America" artist Jack "King" Kirby, Fury debuted in Marvel's "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" #1, May 1963, as a competitor to the successful "Sgt. Rock And Easy Company" series published throughout the 1950's by DC Comics.
During the Sixties pop-culture explosion of movie 'spy' brands like 'James Bond', "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "Our Man Flint", "Matt Helm", etc., the contemporary adventures of 'intelligence operative' Nick Fury began to appear in Marvel's "Strange Tales" comic books, sharing space with "Dr. Strange" .
Artist Jim Steranko eventually illustrated Fury in his own comic book series.
