The Pulp Fiction Fan Theory That Places It In The MCU
For years, Quentin Tarantino's crime comedy "Pulp Fiction" has been hailed as a touchstone of American filmmaking. An homage to the thrilling pulp magazines, the movie impacted storytelling — and, more importantly, pop culture — in ways nobody imagined. It helped set the tone for Tarantino's unique style of filmmaking that could make three intertwined stories characterized by humor, gore, and deep focus on unconventional characters, both a commercial and critical success. Not only did "Pulp Fiction" win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994, but it also won the Academy Award for the Best Original Screenplay. The movie is considered Tarantino's best work, but it also gave a second life to John Travolta's career and gave range to the filmographies of actors like Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis.
The movie also helped establish Samuel L. Jackson's name as a critically acclaimed actor with his Oscar nomination for the Best Supporting Actor. Jackson has gone strong since then and is known today for playing the one-eyed leader of SHIELD, Nick Fury, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But those who remember him as "Pulp Fiction" hitman Jules Winnfield believe they have found a connection between the two seemingly unrelated universes.
Are Jules Winnfield and Nick Fury the same person?
According to fans, "Pulp Fiction" could take place in the MCU, based on Samuel L. Jackson playing both Jules Winnfield and Nick Fury. Fans on Reddit noted that Jules could have been an undercover SHIELD agent or could have left the life of crime to become the Nick Fury we know from "Iron Man." To support this theory, user drunkZachMorris pointed that Fury has the same wallet as Jules. He also mentions a quote that the two characters share and which became one of the most popular scenes of Jackson's career. "In 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier,' Fury's tombstone has the same bible verse written on it as Jules repeatedly utters in 'Pulp Fiction.' 'The path of the righteous man: Ezekiel 25:17,'" they wrote.
But it is easier to place Fury as Jules before its timeline clashes with "Captain Marvel" which released in 2019. The Carol Danvers origin story came closest to giving Marvel fans a backstory on Nick Fury. But the Marvel movie's introduction to Fury in 1995 and the disputed setting of "Pulp Fiction" in the early 90s cast a shadow of doubt on the "Pulp Fiction" in MCU theory. However, there is a resolution to this conflict: in another Reddit thread, user HudsimusPrime found that "Pulp Fiction" is set in 1982, based on references to "Fruit Brute" cereal and "Flock of Seagulls" haircut in the movie. This would give Jules the time to assume a new identity and build a new life to meet Carol Danvers in 1995.
The fans also go so far as to speculate what was in the briefcase that Jules and Vincent (John Travolta) take in "Pulp Fiction," theorizing that it could have been the Mind Stone.