Did you like Clark Gregg’s role as Agent Coulson in Marvel’s The Avengers? Apparently, so did the people who made the film because Marvel just announced at New York Comic Con that the once-dead character is returning, somehow, to star in the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. television series.
It all happened during the “Marvel Television Presents” panel which started at 4:15 Saturday, which was moderated by Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb and featured actors dressed as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lining doors, Loeb introduced a “Marvel mash-up” video showing highlights from various Marvel animated television efforts before segueing a video in memoriam of the Agent Coulson character, showing highlights from his “best moments” on screen.
After that, actor Clark Gregg (who played the role of Coulson) took to the stage with a noticeable tear in his eye.
“I grew up loving comics,” Gregg told the packed house. “One of the greatest things about it is that I got to connect with people like you, so thank you for being apart of it.”
Gregg then went on a tangent of sorts, asking the audience if they’d heard of Marvel’s “Life Model Decoys.” Gregg then went on to mention the online theories that Coulson could return in the role of The Vision, or possibly via the tesseract from Marvel’s The Avengers.
Interjecting in this conversation via video, Marvel’s The Avengers director Joss Whedon spoke from the heart about Gregg and his place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“We all love Clark Gregg,” Whedon said in the pre-recorded video. “Before we even made The Avengers, we discussed if there was a way for him to be a part of the Marvel Universe, maybe even a TV show, after his death. The fact of the matter is, as much as we love him, now that I’m really running Marvel, I like to keep a type of artistic integrity, which means we don’t stretch the bounds of reality.”
Marvel Studios’ President of Production Kevin Feige then enters the screen wearing a “Coulson Lives” shirt, similar to the stickers seen around New York this week, and states bluntly, “There was never going to be a ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ show without Agent Phil Coulson!”
And Whedon confirms it, stating Gregg-as-Colson will be “headlining” the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. television show announced earlier this year.
More on this as it develops.
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Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
FUCK. YES!
Haha, LMD for the win!
#TYBG
LMD for sure.
“His first name is Agent.”
SQEE!
I’m glad to see that he’s a part of the show. Phil is a very likable character and like Nick Fury, he was a part of all the recent Marvel Movies. I’m not sure who’s DUMB idea it was to kill him in the first place? That was very bad writing which they obviously had to correct. Maybe Marvel will say that it was a Life Model Decoy that died in the movie? XD
It wasn’t bad writing. His death provided the needed catalyst for the characters to move themselves into action. They had something really affect them, and responded in kind to it.
@mrshock13: Exactly. It was great storyteling.
My point was that the character shouldn’t have been killed in the first place. Loki should have broken Phil’s leg, arm, put him in limbo or anything but NOT kill him. The audience has a major connection with Phil, since he was in all the recent Marvel films leading up to the Avengers. When they decided to kill the character that takes him out of the story. Now that Marvel wants to do a Shield TV show, Phil would be the perfect character they have to account for that. To someone who hasn’t read the comics and knows of Skrulls or Life Model Decoys, it might appear lame.
@indigomx9: Or it will be a prequel show. Or they will explain it.
Apparently it was the plan all along to kill him and the plan all along for him to for him to be in the show. I’ll admit it’s a smart way to get the audience to instantly like a character, to kill them. Like taking a child’s favorate toy away so you can see them smile when you give it back (not that I’ve ever done that).
Much like Conor I like the idea of it being a prequel show, undoing the death would cheapen the film for me, it really is the catalyst for the characters working as a team, to me (if they don’t handle it properly) it would be like Uncle Ben coming back from the dead. Technically Coulson could never have died (or only clinically for a couple of minutes) Fury lying about the blood on the cards could be them hinting that his entire death was a SHIELD cover-up but I hope that’s not the answer.
Death is already sort of a joke in the super-hero comics world, everyone knows any character can (and probably will) come back, which is fine for that format (sort of) but I was hoping it was something that wouldn’t carry over to the film and TV adaptations.
But in Whedon I trust.
@indigomx9
Nope.
No disrespect is intended… just… No. To everyone you said.
That’s all.
sigh. That should be ‘everyTHING’.
I love Joss the boss, love Phil, love this news. That said sure, I could maybe agree that it’s messy and some might say bad that he was killed and used as a motivator, and then brought back not dead and whatnot.
You know, like Star Trek II and III. While of course Wrath of Khan is still a classic and I get a little something from Spock’s scene there, it’s power is largely taken away in my opinion. Not that this is a big deal, but I can see where criticism is coming from here.
None the less, this is great news for the show. Hopefully Sam Jackson is involved in some way too.
Well I can’t say I am shocked on this.
Although if the people who don’t watch the SHIELD show, and then watch Avengers 2 (if he is in it) then they might be confused on why he’s still alive.
I assume none of the super-hero characters will be in the TV show, so it could easily be that The Avengers 2 is the point they all find out he’s alive. So the characters will be in the same position as those members of the audience and they can use it as an sensible place for exposition or just brush it under the rug with “it’s a long story”.
I’m a little ashamed of how happy this made me.
I don’t care about any other NYCC news, this is all I can think about. #happy
NO WAY!! 😀 WOOOO!
I think it’s great that a character who got his start in the movies has quickly developed such a strong following with the often fickle comic community, and I love that Clark Gregg is clearly such a fan as well. That Marvel has now included him in the movies, the comics, the Ultimate Spider-Man TV show, and now Coulson will be headlining the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. show truly speaks to the power of a good character.
This is awesome. I bet the Coulson on the show will be an LMD.
That would work, at least for me. Could add some additional comedy to the situations too. Sort of like Max Fury only still working with the good guys.
I would definitely watch this.
On Netflix or Hulu.
Whoo Hoo. Are they bringing back Davis Hassellhoff to play Nick Fury 2?