Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson on Agents of Shield
A 7-part sci-fi series from Clark Gregg continues to improve: Agents of SHIELD. Agents of SHIELD is part of the vast timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though with a slight caveat. The show initially began as a part of the franchise, canon to some of the best-ranked movies of the MCU as part of Phase 1.
However, as the show continued, it moved beyond the constraints of the MCU's films. With upcoming Marvel movies promising big changes in the franchise, a burning question is how the stories that started in previous projects will be impacted. To some extent, this also includes Marvel TV shows like Agents of SHIELD. When looking back on the show that lasted seven seasons, its implications on the MCU's future become interesting, and the ever-improving quality of Agents of SHIELD becomes clearer than ever. Agents Of SHIELD Is Aging Well What becomes most evident when rewatching Agents of SHIELD is how well it is aging. At the time of its premiere, Agents of SHIELD was fairly well-liked, but it often paled in comparison to the rest of the MCU, which was in its era of dominance. However, from Agents of SHIELD season 2 onwards, the show kicked into high gear. Seasons 3 through 7 are considered excellent installments of superhero TV, featuring strong character arcs, excellent emotional beats, a great use of Marvel's source material, and their own identity beyond being a mere MCU spin-off. In fact, because of how well these seasons were received, the first two installments were also looked back upon more fondly. This was even the case during the MCU's peak, proving just how strong Agents of SHIELD was. Now, in 2026, the MCU is coming out of a somewhat inconsistent slump. As a result, Agents of SHIELD only continues to improve. Among a slew of MCU TV shows ranging from outright bad to disappointing to increasingly rare standouts, Agents of SHIELD has aged impeccably. Why The MCU Never Acknowledged Agents Of SHIELD Given the reaction to Agents of SHIELD and how well it has aged in the last decade, the question of why the mainstream MCU never acknowledged the show is more pressing than ever. The answer to this is simple: Marvel TV shows were not considered a key part of the storytelling format when Agents of SHIELD began. Although the early seasons of Agents of SHIELD directly referenced and were impacted by the MCU's biggest movies, this was not reciprocated. The MCU's movies between 2008 and 2019 largely, or more aptly, completely ignored all Marvel TV shows being produced. Be it Agents of SHIELD or Netflix's Defenders timeline, the MCU's movies missed opportunities to tie into small-screen stories. This only changed in 2021 with the pivot towards Disney+, which led Marvel Studios to greater acknowledge TV-based stories in regard to the wider universe. Movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and shows like Daredevil: Born Again canonized the Netflix shows that were once ignored by MCU projects. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Agents of SHIELD just yet. As of 2026, the incredibly well-rated Marvel TV show remains unacknowledged by the wider MCU. Will Any Agents Of SHIELD Characters Return In Avengers: Doomsday? All that being said, if the MCU were ever to acknowledge Agents of SHIELD, it would be in the story of Avengers: Doomsday. Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released in December 2026 and will be the beginning of the end of the Multiverse Saga. As has been evident in the film's marketing thus far, it will deal with several other universes of the wider MCU. By the time of Agents of SHIELD season 7, the show could firmly be described as a multiversal story. If the filmmakers of Avengers: Doomsday wish it, the characters and storylines of Agents of SHIELD could be tied into the movie. Who this could be is another question, with perhaps the standout candidate being Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson himself. Coulson was a big part of the MCU's first Phase, and Avengers: Doomsday is certainly relying on similarly nostalgic characters, be it Thor, Captain America, or the X-Men. Therefore, Gregg could reprise his role as Coulson after Agents of SHIELD brought him back post-The Avengers. Beyond that is Daisy Johnson, aka Quake. Quake is a fan-favorite character of Agents of SHIELD, with fans of the show desiring a role for her in several MCU projects of the last decade. From a fan-service perspective, Quake would be one of the more exciting Agents of SHIELD characters to have a role in Avengers: Doomsday. Subscribe for deeper Agents of SHIELD and MCU insights Dig beyond the headlines: subscribing to the newsletter gives clear, focused coverage and analysis of Agents of SHIELD, its place in MCU multiverse storytelling, and related franchise developments — ideal for readers who want informed context and smart br Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Other than that, it is difficult to say who could appear in Avengers: Doomsday from Agents of SHIELD. After all, the former already contains a dizzying number of MCU heroes, meaning those from the latter could likely only be used as brief cameos to avoid the risk of them being underutilized as narratively important characters. It is also worth mentioning that Avengers: Secret Wars, the sequel to Doomsday, set for release in December 2027, could feature some Agents of SHIELD characters. That movie will be set almost entirely in the multiverse remains of Doomsday, teasing more characters from the MCU's wider stories. If so, some beloved Agents of SHIELD characters could appear in the mainline MCU, providing the show that has aged so well with some narrative justice in the franchise. 84 8.7/10 6/10 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Action Adventure Science Fiction Release Date 2013 - 2020-00-00 Network ABC Showrunner Jed Whedon Directors Kevin Tancharoen, Jesse Bochco, Billy Gierhart, Vincent Misiano, Bobby Roth, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Brad Turner, David Solomon, Eric Laneuville, Kate Woods, Kevin Hooks, Milan Cheylov, Ron Underwood, Roxann Dawson, Wendey Stanzler, Clark Gregg, David Straiton, Holly Dale, John Terlesky, Joss Whedon, Stanley M. Brooks, Keith Potter, Dwight H. Little, Elodie Keene Writers Monica Owusu-Breen, Sharla Oliver, Lauren LeFranc, James C. Oliver, Rafe Judkins, Matt Owens, Mark Leitner, Iden Baghdadchi, Shalisha Francis, Chris Dingess Cast See All
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