It's been established that there are a whole lot of characters in next year's "Captain America: Civil War," but according to Samuel L. Jackson himself, Nick Fury won't be one of them.

In an interview with Collider promoting the upcoming movie "Big Game," Jackson said he's not in "Civil War," though he "can't figure that out."

"It's really great to be the connective tissue between so many different characters in so many different films, that brings those guys together," Jackson told Collider. "But I'm not in 'Captain America 3.' I can't figure that out, but I'm not. I guess I'm still out there, trying to figure out what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. and who these other people are."

Jackson was not part of the large cast announced last month for "Civil War," Marvel Studios' third "Captain America" film. Barring a significant misdirection or last-minute change of plans, these recent comments seem to rule out the chance of a surprise appearance.

In the interview, Jackson is very complimentary of his time as Nick Fury -- calling the role he's played since 2008's original "Iron Man" an "amazing honor" -- and expressed enthusiasm for extending his Marvel Studios contract.

"Of course [I'm interested in returning]! I'm looking for a contract extension right now, yeah," Jackson said. "I'm looking to re-up."

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, "Captain America: Civil War" is scheduled for release on May 6, 2016.