Clark Gregg first played Agent Phil Coulson in 2008's Iron Man. Despite not originating in the comic books, the character soon became a firm fan favourite and every MCU fan's heart was broken when Coulson was killed by Loki in The Avengers.
Marvel Television later resurrected the heroic S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., though the means behind his revival became increasingly convoluted (by the time the show ended, the real Coulson was dead again and had become an LMD).
While Marvel Studios has made moves to make Marvel Television's Netflix offerings "canon" to the wider MCU, there's been no indication that's the plan for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Doing so would be easier said than done, particularly after what the series did with the Inhumans and characters like Deathlok and Ghost Rider. Gregg, however, has not closed the door on the possibility.
"[Coulson isn't dead] in every timeline!" the actor said during a recent interview when asked about his MCU future. "Look, you are playing in a Multiverse scenario in various timelines without you being like, 'I don't know, there's many Multiverses here...' People are very upset about whether things are canon [or not], and I love that Kevin is [like] The Oz."
As for fans hoping we could see him in Avengers: Secret Wars, Gregg said, "That's really sweet. I just love that there's a connection with Coulson, I think, because he was such an early part of the thing and the kind of human face of the world."
"But the canon of people that they feel that way about has grown and there's plenty...It's hard for me to go, 'Yeah, it's alright, I had 10 great years, maybe 12,' but yes."
Marvel's Head of Television, Animation, and Streaming Brad Winderbaum was recently asked about the chances of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. receiving a revival along the same lines as X-Men '97.
"We’re doing that right now," he said, mostly dodging the question. "We’re in production on Daredevil: Born Again in New York, they’re shooting as we speak - I’m seeing text messages come up from set."
"That’s probably the next show that is going to kind of revisit and revive a really strong, and one of my favorite pockets of our universe and our fandom. And...you never know, is the answer!"
We don't expect Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to ever make any sort of comeback but it's not outside the realm of possibility that the characters could show up to lend Earth's Mightiest Heroes a hand when they set out to save the Multiverse.
Check out the full interview with Gregg in the player below.