Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Captain America: Marvel sequel has a Pulp Fiction reference you might have missed

The mention was inspired by Winter Soldier co-star Samuel L Jackson

Jacob Stolworthy
Friday 17 July 2020 05:55 EDT
Comments
Pulp Fiction Ezekiel 25:17 clip

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

While you may have seen every Marvel film countless times, you’d be forgiven for missing the Pulp Fiction reference in one of the MCU‘s most beloved sequels.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released in 2014, reintroducing the character’s fallen ally Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as a brainwashed assassin.

The film sees Cap join forces with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) as well as Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to unveil a conspiracy within SHIELD, which is run by Samuel L Jackson‘s Nick Fury.

At one point, Fury is rushed to hospital after being shot by the Winter Soldier, but he dies in surgery (well, he doesn’t – he fakes his own death to gain the upper hand in his investigation).

When Captain America visits his grave stone, though, a close-up reveals his epitaph: “The path of the righteous man, Ezekiel 25:17.”

Twenty years earlier, Jackson spoke these very words in character as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino‘s Pulp Fiction.

The scene is one of the film’s most famous, wherein Winnfield and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) gun down two goons after reciting the biblical passage.

The full passage reads as follows:

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.

Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.

And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

The ‘Pulp Fiction’ reference in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’
The ‘Pulp Fiction’ reference in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (Marvel)

Jackson once revealed he still knows the full passage, but struggles to remember a single line of dialogue he had in The Winter Soldier.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in