Marvel Needs to Make Samuel L. Jackson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus a Thing in the MCU

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might have been a total mess (in my opinion), but it did deliver several bits of joy. Namely, the introduction of Julia Louis-Dreyfus to the MCU. The comedy legend was introduced as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, aka Val. While some Marvel fans were scrambling to figure out who Val was and how the MCU might use her, my brain focused in on a key part of her name almost immediately. Val is the Contessa. And the Contessa has a very sexy comic book history with one Nicholas J. Fury. Which means I’m now begging the MCU to give me some hot and heavy Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Samuel L. Jackson action. (Or backstory at the very least.)

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might have technically been about Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), but the show served as an origin story for John Walker (Wyatt Russell). First introduced as the “New Captain America,” Walker is an exemplary soldier who is riddled with insecurity over his new flashy role. When he keeps losing to the super-serum-enhanced Flag-Smashers, he succumbs to temptation and gives himself the last remaining vial of super soldier serum. When Karli Morganthau (Erin Kellyman) accidentally kills his best friend, Walker goes on a rampage, using the iconic Captain America shield to bludgeon a man to death.

Needless to say, the United States government is pissed. They strip Walker of all his honors and revoke his pension. It is at this low point that John Walker meets “Val.”

Although she may not be a household name, Val has been around in Marvel Comics for a long time. She first popped up in 1967’s Strange Tales #159 and soon became an early member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her socialite status and obvious sex appeal made her an ideal spy in this swinging era for the organization. More importantly, she started a romance with none other than Nick Fury. The Contessa and Fury’s on-off relationship has been steaming up the pages of comic books for over fifty years. So I have to wonder…can we get something similar going onscreen with actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Samuel L. Jackson?

Putting aside how desperately the MCU needs a jolt of sexy subtext, it would be a delightful swerve to see Fury hung up on anyone in the MCU. Make that person JLD’s super sexy (and super age appropriate) Val, and you’ve got the recipe for some hot stuff. (Okay, I hate myself too for that pun.)

But seriously, now that the idea of a Val/Fury on-off flirtation is in my head, I need to see it happen for real. How much fun it would be to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Samuel L. Jackson flirt in an MCU show or movie? And it’s not like Marvel hasn’t already set up the perfect setting for such a meeting of the minds. After all, Val’s last real note to the audience in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is that stuff’s about to get weird in the MCU. One of the next big series to go into production is Secret Invasion starring Jackson as Nick Fury in a story about how Skrulls have infiltrated humanity. So, yeah, that qualifies as “weird.”

Secret Invasion would definitely qualify as the perfect opportunity to throw the Contessa and Nick Fury together. It’s going to be a star-studded series full of weird twists and mind-bending reveals. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Nick Fury’s untrustworthy ex would be a perfect fit.

Please, Marvel, do a horny girl this one solid. Make Fury and Val MCU canon!

Where to watch The Falcon and The Winter Soldier