Summary
- Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson didn't appear in any Marvel media in 2023, breaking his 12-year streak.
- Despite being a mainstay in the MCU, Gregg's appearances primarily occurred in Agents of SHIELD, which isn't considered canon.
- While it's unlikely that Gregg will return as Coulson in the present day, there have been rumors and theories about his potential MCU future.
Clark Gregg didn't appear in any Marvel media in 2023, breaking a lengthy streak that started in Phase 1 of the The Avengers ended in tragedy for Phil Coulson, but his story was far from over.
Despite his demise at the hands of the God of Mischief Loki in The Avengers, Phil Coulson returned to helm Marvel Television's Agents of SHIELD, an ABC series initially set within the world of the MCU. Even though Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson finally broke his 12-year-long streak.
Agents Of SHIELD: 10 Things Only Superfans Know About Phil Coulson
Fans have spent a decade with Phil Coulson as a character across different pieces of Marvel media. Here are some little known facts about the agent.
2023 Is The First Year Phil Coulson Hasn't Appeared In An MCU Project Since 2010
2023 marked the first year since 2010 that Clark Gregg didn't make an appearance of any nature in any Marvel media. Phil Coulson debuted in 2008's Iron Man, and made his next appearance in 2010's Iron Man 2 after Marvel Studios didn't release any projects in 2009. Technically, this means 2023 is the first year that Marvel Studios has released content that hasn't featured Clark Gregg, making him one of the longest-standing MCU heroes. Evidently, much of Gregg's appearances occurred in Agents of SHIELD, which isn't technically considered canon to the MCU, but this is still an impressive streak that has now been broken.
Year |
Marvel Project |
Nature of Appearance |
|---|---|---|
2008 |
Iron Man |
Clark Gregg's live-action debut as Phil Coulson. |
2010 |
Iron Man 2 |
Phil Coulson continues to help Tony Stark. |
2011 |
Thor |
Phil Coulson deals with Thor in New Mexico. |
2012 |
The Avengers |
Phil Coulson aids the Avengers, but loses his life. |
2013-14 |
Agents of SHIELD season 1 |
Phil Coulson leads his first SHIELD team. |
2014-15 |
Agents of SHIELD season 2 |
Phil Coulson and his team deal with Inhumans. |
2015-16 |
Agents of SHIELD season 3 |
Phil Coulson and his team battle Hive. |
2016-17 |
Agents of SHIELD season 4 |
Phil Coulson deals with Ghost Rider and the LMDs. |
2017-18 |
Agents of SHIELD season 5 |
Phil Coulson and his team are sent to the future. |
2019 |
Captain Marvel |
Clark Gregg is de-aged into a younger Phil Coulson. |
2019 |
Agents of SHIELD season 6 |
Clark Gregg appears as Sarge, a.k.a. Pachakutiq. |
2020 |
Agents of SHIELD season 7 |
Clark Gregg appears as a Phil Coulson LMD. |
2021 |
Loki season 1 |
Phil Coulson appears in footage from The Avengers. |
2021 |
What If...? season 1 |
Animated variants of Phil Coulson appear in two episodes. |
2022 |
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law |
Phil Coulson is seen on the Disney+ menu in She-Hulk. |
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Is It Too Late For Phil Coulson To Return To The MCU?
At this point, Clark Gregg has been out of the main timeline of the MCU for over a decade, as Phil Coulson lost his life during the events of 2012's The Avengers. Aside from potential returns in flashbacks or historical projects such as Captain Marvel, it's very likely that this means he won't be returning in the MCU's present day, especially after his second death at the end of Agents of SHIELD season 5. With SHIELD seemingly a distant memory in the world of the MCU, there is no logical reason for Phil Coulson to return to action, as even Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury has moved on.
Clark Gregg's most recent foray in the canon timeline of the MCU saw him voice Phil Coulson in two episodes of What If...? season 1: episode 3, "What If... the World Lost its Mightiest Heroes?," and episode 7, "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?," though he didn't return for What If...? season 2.
Even though it may be unlikely that Clark Gregg will return as Phil Coulson, there have been rumors and theories concerning his potential reprisal in the MCU's future. After Loki season 2, one theory suggested that Loki could revive Phil Coulson to form a new Avengers team, while it's always possible that Gregg could return to voice his character in future seasons of What If...?, despite his absence from 2023's season 2. During a May 2023 interview with The Cosmic Circus, Clark Gregg stated that "there's always a chance" that he could return to the MCU, suggesting this may not actually be the end for Phil Coulson.
