Summary
- Agent Phil Coulson played a pivotal role in bringing the Avengers together through his ties to various members.
- Coulson's return to the MCU during the Multiversal Saga could bring a unique twist with dark implications.
- Potential storylines from the comics hint at Coulson's return, possibly tied to the Secret Wars event.
The heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have come a long way since the moment Tony Stark first stepped onto that stage and announced to the world that he was, in fact, Iron Man. Throughout the entirety of the Infinity Saga, fans came to know and love many characters, ranging from the heroes who defined the Avengers to the villains who helped evolve and grow the heroes and everyone in between. The more heartfelt moments came not from the heroes and villains but the characters who made up their everyday lives, people like Peter Parker’s Aunt May, Tony Stark’s Pepper Potts, and Steve Rogers's Peggy Carter. Yet for many heroes in the early days of the MCU, one man became the heart of the team and beyond, and that was Agent Phil Coulson.
Formerly the go-to agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson not only introduced Tony Stark and the other heroes to the spy organization but also helped bring the heroes together as a team to face threats beyond their world. His untimely demise in 2012’s The Avengers was the crux of that film’s narrative, driving the heroes together rather than keeping them apart. With the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars said to bring characters from the mainline MCU universe and the multiverse together in a new beginning for the franchise, these films would be the perfect place to bring back Agent Phil Coulson.
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Phil Coulson, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Explained
As a child, Phil Coulson became obsessed with Captain America and Peggy Carter, idolizing the WWII heroes. This obsession led him to join Peggy Carter’s organization, S.H.I.E.L.D., and become a member of the spy organization. He eventually came to work with another agent, Nick Fury, when Captain Marvel first arrived on Earth. He ultimately helped Fury and Carol Danvers evade capture long enough to stop the Kree's threat to Earth and the surviving Skrulls.
When Tony Stark first became Iron Man, Coulson was sent as the liaison between Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D., helping Tony and Pepper stop an out-of-control Obadiah Stane and being there when Stark finally revealed himself as Iron Man to the world. After helping look after and brief Nick Fury on Tony’s out-of-control state in Iron Man 2, he moved on to New Mexico to oversee the project involving Thor’s hammer and the arrival of the Asgardians on Earth.
It wasn’t until the formation of the Avengers that his story made a significant impact, with his previous ties to members of the Avengers becoming the catalyst the fractured team needed to come together. When Loki managed to take Coulson’s life, his death brought the heroes together as The Avengers to stop Loki and the alien army at his back. This was the first of many battles against Thanos and his plans for the universe.
Coulson would return many times in the spinoff series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., having been resurrected by Nick Fury using a program that utilizes the blood of an ancient Kree body to keep Coulson alive after his death. However, a battle with an AI trying to take over the world forces him to briefly bond with the spirit of vengeance himself, the Ghost Rider, which destroys the serum in his body that kept him alive. While other versions of Coulson would return in later seasons, the true Coulson passed away soon thereafter.
Coulson’s Return to the MCU Makes Sense
In the grand scheme of the MCU, especially during this new Multiversal Saga, the idea of other versions of the heroes and characters fans know and love is not out of the realm of possibilities. Even the comics have taken Coulson’s story in far-off directions in recent years, with characters like Deadpool having shocking interactions with Phil Coulson during the significant crossover event, Secret Empire.
Yet it is his connection to Mephisto in more recent years that stands out as the most interesting story idea. Coulson, having been a spy and soldier who had to take on some horrific missions for his organization, was sent to Hell as a result, and Mephisto took hold of his soul. He returned Coulson to life, where Coulson took control of copies of the Squadron Supreme, powerful antiheroes that are Marvel’s answer to DC Comics’ Justice League. This led to a rewritten reality that saw the Squadron and Coulson ruling the world, only to be defeated by the Avengers.
With the upcoming Secret Wars film likely creating a new story based on both the 1984 original and 2015 storylines of the same name, this latest tale could see a twist that brings Agent Coulson back into the fold. What happened to Coulson when he finally passed is still a mystery. Not only could Coulson variants across the multiverse exist, but introducing Mephisto could also add a dark twist that sees his return, much to the dismay of his former friends. While nothing is confirmed, of all the passed-on characters, his return would make the most sense and have the most significant impact on the OG heroes of the MCU.
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- First Film
- Iron Man
- Latest Film
- Marvels
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Tom Hiddleston, Iman Vellani
- TV Show(s)
- WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk