Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. Star Clark Gregg Talks Coulson's Return

In a video interview with Marvel's Ryan Penagos conducted backstage at the New York Comic Con Saturday night, Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. star Clark Gregg discussed the return of his fan-favorite character, Agent Phil Coulson, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the upcoming series. "They told me to fly into New York and it would be worth my while," Gregg joked, "maybe I would get some cool t-shirts...I wasn't prepared for this!" Joking about the fact that no details have yet been offered beyond the simple existence of Coulson in the Joss Whedon-directed pilot, Gregg suggested, "That's all we know--I could be playing the Hulk...Thor's handsomer, older brother...that's all we know. But I'll be back. As someone. Maybe someone we know." While the latter is likely a wink and a nod to fan theories that Coulson could return to live as The Vision, an android Avenger programmed in the comics with the consciousness of a fallen teammate, the former may be in reference to t-shirts available at the Shirts for a Cure booth at New York Comic Con that read "Coulson Lives, Fury Lies" with a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. "I certainly loved the guy from the first time he started to quip with Tony Stark," Gregg said, "and to see him brought back and expanded in the different movies has been this fanboy's crazy dream. I was very ambivalent when it came time to do the tragic scenes with Loki and so I'm feeling pretty good right now because I thought it was something I wasn't get to do again."