Marvel Studios‘ latest gem, Thunderbolts*, is now in theaters and shaking up the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film follows a team of misfits led by Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) facing off against The Sentry, aka The Void (Lewis Pullman), an all-powerful being with incomparable strength. However, the true villain of the film is CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In an interview with Agents of Fandom, the Thunderbolts* star shared her take on Val’s off-screen relationship with former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), which echoes their dynamic in the Marvel comics.
Did Val and Nick Fury Date? Julia Louis-Dreyfus Thinks So
“I think, because in the comics, don’t they have a relationship, like a proper relationship, right? Yeah! So let’s say…maybe they had a proper relatonship.”
—Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Valentina and Fury’s Potential Romantic Past in the MCU
While this certainly isn’t canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s fun that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has not only brushed up on the comic lore for her character but also considered a potential relationship between her character and Nick Fury. It’s hard to imagine we get a chance to see the two of them share the screen with The Fantastic Four: First Steps being the only film remaining on the Marvel timeline before Avengers: Doomsday, but we can certainly hope.
Fans will likely never know if this romantic relationship truly occurred in the MCU. However, if these two superstars were to meet in a Marvel movie and reference their past, comic book fans would likely go wild in the theater. In the meantime, we can share Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ head-canon that it all happened off-screen.
Potential Nick Fury and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Relationship Timeline in the MCU
Since Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and Nick Fury have both been canonically married to different people in the MCU, it complicates determining when this relationship could have occurred. Although it would be nice to simply pretend Secret Invasion never took place, it’s unfortunately part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline.
Nick Fury began teaming up with the Skrulls to further his intelligence career three years after the events of 2019’s Captain Marvel, which took place in the year 1995 in the MCU timeline. While he didn’t immediately begin his relationship with Varra (Charlayne Woodard) once he started working with the Skrulls, we can assume they got together shortly after the year 2000.
It was a shocking twist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when it was revealed that Everett Ross’ (Martin Freeman) ex-wife is none other than Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Although it’s never mentioned how long they were married, it leaves the potential open for Val and Fury to have gotten together prior to either of their marriages. While the odds are low for the two of them to meet up in Avengers: Doomsday or beyond, the MCU has no shortage of surprises.
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