It’s been almost a decade since Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson was killed off in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline after Loki stabbed him through the heart in The Avengers, but fans have never given up on the idea of seeing the cult favorite make an eventual return to the fold, something that’s admittedly more likely than ever before now that the multiverse is in play.
Obviously, he took top billing in all seven seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Kevin Feige discarding all previous episodic efforts from official canon and then Disney Plus moving the series to the Marvel Legacy collection would indicate that it doesn’t count as part of continuity, even if there were references and nods towards the movies spread out all across the show’s run on ABC.
Gregg did make a comeback of sorts as a rookie agent during Captain Marvel‘s 1995 scenes, while he’s also poised to lend his vocal talents to at least one episode of Marvel’s What If…?. In a new interview, the actor was asked about the rumors bubbling away in the background concerning Coulson’s reintegration into the MCU, and he was very coy about it.
“Yes, I do. I follow it like an avid fan. I’ve heard those rumors, that’s the comment I can make. I’ve heard those rumors.”
We’ve also heard tales of a potential Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reboot for streaming, with Coulson and Chloe Bennet’s Quake heavily linked as the prime candidates to reprise their roles and rejoin the fray in a more canonical capacity. We’re still waiting for confirmation in that respect, but you’d have to say the chances are better than they’ve been for a while.