Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a beloved yet often forgotten entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The events of this series have typically been ignored by the larger franchise, given that it, along with most other projects from Marvel Television, were not associated with the executives at Marvel Studios or the larger plan for the MCU.
However, with the return of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, many fans have been given new hope that their favorite characters from AoS will also return triumphantly to the largest franchise in the world. As such, some fans on Reddit are giving their opinions on who they’d like to show up first.
Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider
Redditor Samurott38 already knows how they want AoS‘s version of the Ghost Rider to return to the MCU, writing that he “could return in Multiverse of Madness,” in a story arc that would reveal that the character had not properly bonded with the spirit of vengeance, requiring him to work to hone his skill once more.
Gabriel Luna took the superhero torch from Nicolas Cage, whose Ghost Rider films aged quite terribly, becoming the Robbie Reyes version of the character for the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While a spinoff for his character was planned, the idea was ultimately scrapped, and Luna has yet to return to the character, causing many fans to anxiously await some kind of announcement regarding his reprisal.
Flint
Samurott38 thinks that MCU fans could see the Inhuman character Flint again, suggesting that “we could meet Flint as a character in something like the Defenders,” inherently suggesting that the Netflix superhero team will also be making a comeback in the MCU.
Though he was a relatively minor part of a much larger show, Coy Stewart’s Inhuman was a lovable character who could have flourished with more screentime. While Inhumans seem to be taboo for Marvel following their flopped Inhumans series, the character could still return, perhaps retconned as a mutant for the MCU.
Grant Ward
“I really want to see Grant Ward return,” writes Reddit user RepresentativeFig632, offering up a few suggestions for potential future storylines for the character before singing his praises. They call him “an amazing villain” who they “would love to see” in the MCU.
Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) began his tenure on the series as an ally of the core team before later being revealed as a Hydra spy. The character served as a truly dangerous villain for the next two seasons, wreaking havoc on his former friends. Such a complex and terrifying villain would fit very nicely in the MCU proper.
Alphonso Mackenzie
Henry Simmons’ character, Alphonso Mackenzie, also receives plenty of love from Marvel fans. “I’d like Mack to return in at least a cameo in Secret Invasion,” suggests Redditor Cryozen, who continues to say that, “Fury will want to keep track of his Toolbox and [see] how S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing.”
Mackenzie, amicably called “Mack” by his friends, served as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following Coulson’s death in Season 5, meaning that he is the possessor of former director Nick Fury’s mysterious Toolbox, something which could come into play when Samuel L. Jackson’s character returns in Secret Invasion. Should Fury’s former organization ever make its return to the MCU, Director Mackenzie would absolutely have to appear as well.
Elena Rodriguez/Yo-Yo
Crestfallen_Vanity believes that the MCU is working up to a “Secret Warriors” title for their franchise, which has historically included certain Inhumans that AoS fans are intimately familiar with. Given this theory, the Redditor writes that “the two characters [they] want to see the most are Daisy and Yo-Yo.”
Yo-Yo is, of course, the moniker worn by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Inhuman Elena Rodriguez, as portrayed by Natalia Córdova-Buckley. Though Marvel hasn’t announced any titles relating to the Inhumans for some time, some fans have wondered if Ms. Marvel could reintroduce the superpowered group. If this is the case, then Yo-Yo is certainly among the first few that could usher in the age of the Inhumans in the MCU.
The Most Wanted
Along with several other of their favorite characters, Reddit user PCofSHIELD suggests that “Bobbi and Hunter” be added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These two characters, played by Adrienne Palicki and Nick Blood respectively, are fan-favorite characters from the second and third seasons of the series.
For many fans of AoS, these beloved agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were gone too soon, as they were written off the series in hopes that their spinoff, Marvel’s Most Wanted, would get picked up by ABC. However, the network ultimately passed on the pilot, leaving Bobbi and Hunter in the wind. Though Blood appeared as Hunter on several occasions in later seasons, many have worried that they would never see these characters again. However, given the reintroduction of the Mockingbird title in Hawkeye, many have wondered if Bobbi, who operated under this title in the comics and in the series, may indeed still exist in the MCU.
FitzSimmons
The dynamic duo of Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons is among a group of several characters from Marvel Television that fans want to return before the end of Phase 4. Redditor fishnetdiver agrees with this idea, suggesting that it might be interesting to see the pair “in New Asgard” performing a “check-up to see how the Asgardians are adjusting to life on Midgard.”
The pair, commonly referred to collectively as FitzSimmons, was an integral part of the series for its entire run, with their seemingly cursed love story playing a major role in several storylines. Their scientific minds were unmatched by their peers, a quality that could serve them well in future MCU appearances.
Melinda May
Artanis2000 expresses their profound desire to see Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) return to the MCU, calling the actress “Disney royalty.” The Redditor expresses their dissatisfaction with the character’s ending in the series, believing that her story needed to be explored more before being left behind.
Melinda May was certainly an irreplaceable facet of AoS whose skill was unmatched by any of her compatriots. After seven seasons on the series, Ming-Na Wen certainly ingratiated herself into the hearts of its viewers, making their desire to see her return to the role all the more understandable.
Daisy Johnson/Quake
Redditor urlach3r seems confident in their assertion that Chloe Bennet will make a triumphant return to her Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character. They write: “I expect Quake to show up in the MCU at some point.” Some fans, however, who are desperate to have Chloe Bennet back by any means necessary, have suggested the actress play a different character altogether in the MCU.
Daisy Johnson, AKA Quake, was in many ways the main character of the series, rivaled only by Phil Coulson himself. It is her arc that drives much of the story, as she discovers her identity in a world turned upside down by the arrival of the Avengers. Of the many beloved characters from the show, Quake’s return seems the most promising.
Phil Coulson
“I have a feeling Coulson will show up in Secret Invasion,” reasons willstr1, who believes that the recent references to the character in Loki and What If…? betray Marvel Studios’ intent to revisit Clark Gregg’s iconic character in the near future.
Coulson was, as many fans will remember, an integral part of the MCU’s first phase, appearing in four of its six films, culminating with his death in The Avengers. However, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would go on to reveal that the character had been brought back using Kree blood. After several more deaths in the series, Coulson would eventually be replaced by a Life Model Decoy, who continued in his endeavors at S.H.I.E.L.D. after the end of the TV show. With a long future ahead of him and a history intricately tied to several major Avengers, it seems that Coulson’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an inevitability.
