Samuel L. Jacksonis leading the first spinoff of Taylor Sheridan and Sylvester Stallone’sTulsa King, but his character is going to debut before his show does.Samuel L. Jackson joined the cast ofTulsa Kingabout a month ago, but his character wasn’t confirmed. Now, however, we know who Jackson is playing inTulsa Kingseason 3, what he’ll be doing, and how his spinoff seriesNOLA Kingbegins.
Paramount confirmed thatSamuel L. Jackson is going to star in theTulsa Kingspinoff showNOLA King, and that his character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., will appear inTulsa Kingseason 3 first. Jackson’s character will be introduced in the mainTulsa Kingshow before starting his spinoff series. Jackson has had TV roles before, butNOLA Kingwill mark his first time headlining a series.
The confirmation of Jackson’s involvement inTulsa Kingseason 3, which is expected to premiere in late 2025, also included a synopsis of his character’s backstory and what to expect out ofNOLA King’s first season.
NOLA King follows Russell Lee Washington Jr. (Jackson) who, after befriending Dwight Manfredi (Stallone) during a ten-year stint in federal prison, is sent to Tulsa by New York’s Renzetti crime family to take Dwight out once and for all. Inspired by what Dwight created in Tulsa and impressed with the possibilities of second chances, Washington returns to New Orleans, the home he abandoned forty-years ago, to rekindle his relationship with his family, friends, and to take control of the city he left behind. In so doing, he incurs the wrath of his former employers in New York, and makes himself vulnerable to old NOLA foes, both criminal and cop.
As the synopsis shows,Russell’s origin story seems remarkably similar to Dwight Manfredi’s, and they even knew each other in prison. It also reveals that Russelll and Dwight begin as adversaries inTulsa Kingseason 3 only to become friends before Russell departs forNOLA King. It even seems thatNOLA Kingseason 1 could follow many of the same story beats ofTulsa Kingseason 1.
What Jackson’s Involvement & NOLA King’s Plot Synopsis Mean For Tulsa King Season 3 & Its Future
Dwight Will Get An Unexpected Ally In Tulsa King Season 3 & NOLA King Already Looks Like It Has A Solid Foundation
This newest announcement confirms one thing first and foremost: Paramount is putting a lot of faith and resources intoTulsa King. Samuel L. Jackson is a big star with a big price tag, but Paramount clearly believes he’s worth it to headlineNOLA King.MakingNOLA Kinga success and turningTulsa Kingfrom a hit show into a hit franchise seems to be a big priority for Paramount.
While the official confirmation of Samuel L. Jackson’s involvement inTulsa KingandNOLA Kingdoesn’t offer up much new information, the synopsis does.This announcement confirms that Dwight is going to start out fighting Russell only to convert him to his side, not unlike what he did with Goodie (Chris Caldovino) inTulsa Kingseason 1. There is an added twist, however, as Russell isn’t sticking around.
The synopsis also confirms thatNOLA Kingis already following a winning strategy.The similarities toTulsa Kingseason 1 are obvious - Russell and Dwight both worked for the New York mafia, both went to prison, both were sent out West, and more - but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a formula that’s proven to work, andNOLA Kingmay have a leg up because of it.
Our Take On Samuel L. Jackson Joining Tulsa King & Leading NOLA King
Jackson’s Involvement Is A Great Development For Tulsa King & I’m Very Excited
I’m very excited that Samuel L. Jackson has officially been confirmed to appear inTulsa Kingand star inNOLA King.I think Jackson is exactly whatTulsa Kingseason 3 needed to outdo season 2: he brings even more star power than Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough, and he should be a great new ally to Dwight.
While I am a bit concerned about how similar Russell and Dwight’s stories seem, I’m also still very hopeful. Even if they do end up being very similar characters, I think watching Sylvester Stallone andSamuel L. Jacksonplay off of each other for the first time inTulsa Kingseason 3 and eventuallyNOLA Kingseason 1 will more than make up for a bit of repetition.
