Sylvester Stallone Reveals Marvel Star Lobbied Hard to Join Tulsa King

Samuel L. Jackson did not wait for an invite to Tulsa King. He muscled his way in. And Sylvester Stallone loved every second of it.

• Stallone, 79, told Us Weekly that Jackson personally pushed to join the show, going straight to the producer, who then came to Stallone.
• Stallone says Jackson showed up with full swagger and total confidence, the exact vibe you want when you pit him against Dwight Manfredi.
• Jackson debuts as Russell Lee Washington Jr. in the penultimate episode of season 3, revealed as a top-tier hired hitman.
• Working with Jackson was both intimidating and motivating for Stallone: a little shock at first, then game on.
• Jackson is set to lead a spin-off, Nola King, which picks up after Russell leaves Tulsa. No release date yet.
• Jackson told Collider he keeps a ton of Taylor Sheridan shows on his watchlist and was thrilled to jump into this world; he even mentioned chatting with Pierce Brosnan about it.
• Back in June 2025, Jackson admitted he knew almost nothing about what was coming next — even the character name and backstory — which reads like he was talking about the still-fluid spin-off plans.
• Tulsa King streams on Paramount+. Current scores: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 88% Tomatometer, 76% Audience.
• Fun note: Stallone is a Marvel alum (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Jackson is, of course, Nick Fury of The Avengers. Worlds colliding in Tulsa.

How Sam Jackson ended up in Tulsa King

Stallone swears he did not make a call or twist any arms. Jackson chased this one down himself, and fast-tracked it the old-fashioned way: straight to the producer, then to Sly.

"He was the aggressor. He wanted to do it so badly. He went to the producer. The producer came to me."

Honestly, that sounds exactly like Samuel L. Jackson. Stallone also lit up talking about Sam walking onto set with that cool, bulletproof confidence. He framed their scenes like a showdown: high noon, two gunfighters, and no flinching. The takeaway from Stallone was pretty simple — Jackson brings out the best in you or you get steamrolled.

The vibe on set: a little fear, then full throttle

Stallone admitted there is a moment of intimidation when you first square up with someone like Jackson. But once the first punch is thrown — his words — the work clicks. It stops being nerves and becomes the fun part: trying to top each other take after take.

Jackson’s entry: right before the finale, as a ringer

Season 3 holds Jackson until the penultimate episode, where he shows up as Russell Lee Washington Jr., a hired killer with a serious reputation. Yes, they waited until the last stretch to drop Sam Jackson into the mix. Peak TV timing.

The spin-off: Nola King

Jackson’s not just passing through. He is headlining Nola King, which is set to pick up after Russell leaves Tulsa. That’s the broad plan; a premiere date does not exist yet. What’s funny is that in a June 2025 chat with Collider, Jackson said he knew almost nothing about what was next — he even joked he did not know the character’s name or their history. Given he is already Russell on Tulsa King, it sounds like he was talking about the spin-off specifics still being in flux.

Jackson really wanted this world

He told Collider he watches a ton of Taylor Sheridan shows — like, double-digit levels — and was already into Tulsa King before the role even came up. He even mentioned talking to Pierce Brosnan about it earlier that day. Translation: this was not a paycheck cameo. He wanted in.

Bottom line: Jackson bulldozed his way into Tulsa King, Stallone met him head-on, and now we are getting a full-blown spin-off out of it. That is how you make TV fun.