General Hager is introduced in “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” as a stern, no-nonsense military leader. A mysterious anomaly has entered Earth’s atmosphere, and he’s determined to figure out what the object is. Thus, he reaches out to Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) for help, knowing full well that his brilliant scientific mind can figure out what’s going on. Their dynamic is rather tense, but at the end of the day, they put their differences aside to figure out the truth of the Silver Surfer’s (Doug Jones, Laurence Fishburne) trip to Earth.
As they work together, an interaction between Hager and Richards makes it clear just how much Nick Fury and Marvel Comics influence there was on the script. To kick off the “Ultimate Extinction” #2 comic, Richards and Fury disagree when it comes to where and how the former conducts his research. Fury makes a quip about Richards not playing football in high school, prompting Richards to deliver a speech highlighting that while he has always been a nerd, Fury needs him whether he likes it or not. In “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” Richards and Hager get into a petty quarrel, with much of the exact dialogue stemming from this comic moment.
Had rights issues not gotten in the way, it stands to reason that Andre Braugher would’ve made for an exceptional Nick Fury in “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
