The bald avenger may be about to give life to a cigar-chomping comic hero.

Bruce Willis, fresh from his stint in the acclaimed money-spinner "Sin City", is in line to play Nick Fury Agent of Shield in the film of the same tag, says SFX Magazine.

Set-up at Paramount, the movie tells of Marvel comic character, Nick Fury, the director of an international espionage organization called S.H.I.E.L.D, who are constantly going up against rogues like the wicked Hydra.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Fury first appeared in the comic "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" in May 1963. The eye-patched adorned, cigar-chompin hero was later transformed into a James Bond type.

'Fury' first hit the screen in 1998, as a lacklustre David Hasselhoff vehicle. The rework is due for release in 2007, at the earliest.

Samuel L.Jackson was rumoured to be up for the lead last year, but according to the rag, the captain of the blood-stained singlet may now be on the studio's radar.