In an interview with Collider at WonderCon over the weekend, Clark Gregg has dropped a few more intriguing hints about how Marvel and ABC's S.H.I.E.L.D. will address his, you know, not being dead! While he doesn't reveal how the fan favourite character managed to survive being stabbed through the chest by Loki in Marvel's The Avengers, the actor does confirm that we should at least expect the Joss Whedon helmed pilot to give us a few clues. Gregg also shares his thoughts on his "death" in the superhero ensemble, why he decided to become a part of the TV series and whether this all means that we should expect to see him return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point. A full transcript of the interview can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
On Why He Decided To Return As 'Agent Coulson' On The Small Screen:
"I signed a multi-year deal for Agent Coulson when it was just three lines. It just turned into something more. It’s always a little nerve-wracking because it’s not something you’re used to. We have designed obsolescence, we actors. At the same time, the relationship between Agent Coulson and the fans is moving to me, and I don’t think it comes along very often, and I’ve been doing this a while. And some of this stuff is happening to me when I’m not in my 20s, not by a long shot. Once I knew that Joss and his brother Jed and Maurissa, his wife, were involved, and I saw the script, and thought, “This is what it’s going to be like,” then there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing."
On Whether The Pilot Will Reveal How He Survived Loki's Attack:
"After people see the show, they’ll have some clue as to why I’m still there, still breathing. But I don’t think they’ll know everything...
On How He Felt When He Learned Of The Death Of 'Agent Coulson':
"I’ve been so happy and living this geek fantasy as they kept adding Agent Coulson to everything including The Avengers and then gave him this magnificent, almost Shakespearean death scene, and I found out on that day how much I loved this guy and had come to identify with him partly because of the way fans responded to him, and also because he had such a great niche in those movies. He got to be funny, he got to be, in this case, heroic. And then I got to say good-bye to him, and it was a very emotional day. And yet I feel what Joss did with that was a fantastic conclusion of the character. And even though my friends at Marvel said, “You know, we spent a lot of time talking about how Coulson lives, and we know that there’s a movement out there, and there are t-shirts and people paint on bridges ‘Coulson Lives’, we’re going to bring you back”, and it’s one of the many things people tell you that never ever happens. And then I get this call from Joss saying, “Well…there’s a script. And here’s what we’re thinking, and it’s after The Avengers, and here’s the concept.” By the time Joss finished telling me, I was in."
On Whether This Means We'll See 'Agent Coulson' Back On The Big Screen:
"Joss is right over there. That’s a really good question. I want to go ask him. I don’t know. If my schedule doesn’t conflict, and they need him in one of the movies, will they come calling? My feeling is that there’s no breaks in continuity with this and the Marvel movie universe. It makes sense in that universe, and I certainly feel like his chances of appearing in those movies are far better than when he was far out dead."
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