A first look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Six teases an alive, and potentially twisted, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).
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When asked if he’s with the organization where Coulson has long served as an agent, a black-cad and apparently amnesiac Coulson says only, “Never heard of it.”
Season Five ended with Coulson resigned to his fate, opting to let his body perish following a deal struck with Ghost Rider (Gabriel Luna) and living out his last days in peace in Tahiti with May (Ming-Na Wen).
As Mack (Henry Simmons) settles into taking over the reigns as leader, new foes emerge — potentially with a corrupted Coulson among them.
Star Chloe Bennet confirmed this week Coulson is dead, suggesting the once S.H.I.E.L.D. director — who was first killed in 2012’s The Avengers, before being resurrected in S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s inaugural season — has again been returned to life via supernatural means.
“My understanding is that Phil Coulson is no longer alive. He’s been brought back, he’s been really clear that he didn’t want supernatural measures used again. I always felt like he thought almost like he wasn’t supposed to be here,” Gregg previously told THR.
“That got more complicated for him when he started to form this new family and to have this surrogate daughter that he probably always wanted and to, in the most recent weeks of this S.H.I.E.L.D. timeline, really opened himself up to his feelings for Melinda May. But I don’t think there is a real buy-back for the fact that this deal he made with the Ghost Rider is killing his body.”
Gregg, who again returns to S.H.I.E.L.D. behind the camera as director, hinted at the time he would be involved in Season Six in some capacity, but didn’t acknowledge if Ghost Rider lore could be responsible for Coulson’s surprise revival.
“I hope to be involved, maybe I’ll be an LMD [Life Model Decoy] or maybe I’ll be in a C-3P0 suit and I’ll be everybody’s starchy Brit robot,” Gregg joked.
However Coulson returns in the future, Gregg next reprises the role as a younger, fresher S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the ’90s-set Captain Marvel.
“It was such a gift, such a sweet gift, from [directors] Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige and [producer] Louis D’Esposito to get this call saying Coulson is very much around in this story and get to spend time as this guy in a completely different phase in his career with such an incredible bunch of characters and storyline that includes Skrulls, which is a really cool thing from the comics,” Gregg said.
“So I was thrilled about it. I’m having the time of my life.”
Captain Marvel opens March 8. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC this summer.
