Is Agents of SHIELD MCU Canon? Clark Gregg Dives into the Debate Amid Secret Wars Rumors

Clark Gregg, who plays Phil Coulson, responds to the theories of potential cameos in Avengers: Secret Wars and the Agents of SHIELD canon mystery.

Marvel Cinematic Universe star Clark Gregg, who played Phil Coulson on Agents of SHIELD, chimes in on the canon mystery and whether he could show up in Avengers: Secret Wars. Prior to the current era of MCU TV series on Disney+, Marvel TV was the official division for shows set in the Avengers-based franchise. The longest-running Marvel TV show is still Agents of SHIELD, which served as a spinoff for Coulson and put a bigger focus on the Marvel spy organization.

On the Agents of SHIELD fan podcast Love in the Time of Hydra, Gregg was asked about the canon debate with regard to the ABC drama, as the host brought up how Kevin Feige has yet to clarify the show’s place in the timeline, even though Coulson is dead. The actor responded with the following about the Agents of SHIELD timeline with the MCU:

[Coulson isn’t dead] in every timeline! Look, you are playing in a multiverse scenario in various timelines without you being like, ‘I don’t know, there’s many multiverses here…’ People are very upset about whether things are canon [or not], and I love that Kevin is [like] The Oz.

The host also brought up Avengers: Secret Wars, as it is still unknown who will be in the Phase 6 installment. When they mentioned that fans want to see Gregg reprise his Agents of SHIELD character in the movie, the MCU veteran shared the following:

That’s really sweet … I just love that there’s a connection with Coulson, I think, because he was such an early part of the thing and the kind of human face of the world. But the canon of people that they feel that way about has grown and there’s plenty… It’s hard for me to go, ‘Yeah, it’s alright, I had 10 great years, maybe 12,’ but yes.

Could Avengers: Secret Wars Finally Settle The Agents Of SHIELD Canon Debate?

The Marvel Netflix Shows Were Recently Retroactively Confirmed As MCU Canon

While the Marvel-Netflix shows have been made canon to the MCU in recent months, Agents of SHIELD’s fate is still unclear. However, Avengers: Secret Wars could perhaps be the MCU movie to finally settle the debate once and for all. Since Avengers: Secret Wars will likely be dealing with multiple timelines and universes, it would be the proper time to have Agents of SHIELD’s place in the multiverse established. Even if the show isn’t canon to the main MCU timeline, Avengers: Secret Wars could explain how Agents of SHIELD ended up as a branched timeline.

Given how Agents of SHIELD has already had an impact on MCU movies, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s odd that it’s one of the Marvel shows that Marvel Studios is staying particularly quiet about. But even as Gregg mentioned, Coulson could be alive in other timelines, which would be a solution for the MCU in how they could bring him back without contradicting Agents of SHIELD. There is also clearly a massive interest from the audience in seeing Agents of SHIELD more integrated with the MCU, including someone like Daisy Johnson, a.k.a. Quake, a superhero who would fit perfectly into the movies.

At this point, Feige and Marvel Studios must have seen some of the questions, as this debate has been going on ever since Agents of SHIELD ended. With all the rich stories and characters that came out of Agents of SHIELD, it would be a shame if Marvel Studios didn’t fully canonize the series. Hopefully, whether it’s Avengers: Secret Wars or a different MCU project, Marvel Studios will give the audience a proper answer about where Agents of SHIELD fits into the multiverse before The Multiverse Saga is over.