Even though the first half of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one lacked many comic book characters, it still presented the true essence of this agency. This is a badass, diverse group of people who specialize in areas involving powered people and artifacts. We see a lot of that in many of the show's first episodes, but as the Hydra infiltration was brought to light and the Inhuman population was discovered, this was put on the backburner in season two. It's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job to monitor powered people, and this needs to be brought back in the next season.
Something that I have grown to love about the show is that they are truly a family. Take note,
Phil Coulson even speaks to his agents in a fatherly way quite often. At first I didn't like this, because it felt irregular to the S.H.I.E.L.D. we saw in the movies and comics, but it's what gave the show a heart and arguably some of the best scenes of the entire series. In
season three, we need to continue to see this group of people change.
With all of this in mind, I've compiled a list of things I would like to see in season three. Will they happen? Time will tell, but I hope you enjoy!
1). Jemma Simmons
I put this first because it is my most exciting idea. As we all know, there has been unsettling tension between FitzSimmons for season two's entirety. It took one year for the two of them to get to a place where they could talk about what he told her at the bottom of the ocean. When he finally mans up and asks her out, though... she gets trapped in a Kree rock, what the showrunners call the Monolith. It was revealed that this rock was meant to destroy the Inhumans. So what kind of effect could it have on a regular human (assuming Simmons isn't Inhuman)? Elizabeth Henstridge, the actress portraying Jemma, has commented saying that while she doesn't know what it is, she and other cast members have theorized it to be a transportation device. Some wonder if it will kill her, or if she's just stuck inside.
The scene was meant to cause us to hold our breaths over the entire summer, but when we come back, I hope she's made it out of the rock unscathed. While this would seemingly be a "Got you!" at the audience, the show would later reveal that when Simmons is around Inhumans, their powers are muted. Skye can't manipulate vibrations, Lincoln can't tap into electric waves, and so forth. I think this could wind up being very dramatic, as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would have the burden of figuring out new strategies and could put the characters into some tight corners.
2). Netflix tie-ins
Look, I'm the opposite of the guy who's crying for crossovers. If the Avengers never met the Guardians, I'd be on board. If the Netflix series never came together for The Defenders, I'd still watch every episode. But in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s case, things are different. It is their job to monitor superpowered people. It is what they've done for decades in the comics and has been repeatedly stressed in the TV show. They have the Index, and protocols for putting people on the Index. Daredevil, Jessica Jones and co. should be no exception. A full-on crossover would be great, but just one show nodding to the other in a significant way would make my [frick]ing day.
2.5). Daredevil tie-in
Grant Ward--the self-appointed head of Hydra. As we see at the end of season two's finale... he needs names, names of ex-Hydra agents who will work for him to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. So he takes a trip to Ryker's Island, where Wilson Fisk is being held prisoner. We've seen how many connections Fisk had throughout the Daredevil series--he even had people working for him in the FBI! Surely he would have some Hydra associates, just like the comics. Ward tells Fisk that he will break him out of prison for more Hydra names, people that will work for him. (Maybe it's something else; but something sinister leads him to Wilson Fisk.) Fisk agrees, and in Daredevil season two, we see him embrace his Kingpin persona as he returns to Hell's Kitchen a man the law is too afraid to put down.
3). The Mandarin
Now if you're anything like PredatorRising, you'll want the real Mandarin to come back someday and taunt Iron Man in a solo film. In his defense though, many people mocked his ideas that there was a "real" Mandarin only to be proved wrong when the All Hail the King one-shot arrived
on the
Thor: The Dark World Blu-Ray set. But the question is, how many people have actually seen the one-shot? My guess is that many of you haven't even seen it, and a lot of people will download that particular movie or Netflix it without ever checking for a bonus feature. My point is... only a handful of people know that there is a real Mandarin out there, and even fewer give a damn.
I'm not saying that the Mandarin couldn't be brought back in a movie one day. I'm saying that with the state of the MCU right now, he would make a badass big-bad for the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While the media is busy watching the superheroes fight one another, middle-eastern terrorists called the Ten Rings have been setting things into play that could mean the end for our nation (this is just one scenario). The Mandarin is a superpowered terrorist whose ideals are in stark contrast to Director Phil Coulson's. When the agents catch wind of that shit, they take care of that shit, bitch.
3.5). Other Villains Backing the Mandarin
While I truly believe that the
Mandarin would make a great opposite to Director Coulson, there are other villains who have their sights set on that man. In episode three,
Dr. Franklin Hall AKA
Graviton attempts to sacrifice
gravitonium for the greater good, but this would also kill millions. Coulson prevented him from doing that by dropping him into the gravitonium itself. I don't know about you, but if I was in Hall's shoes, I'd be pretty pissed off.
Meanwhile, Grant Ward is looking for closure after accidentally killing his girl, Kara AKA Agent 33. Whether or not there's truth to it, Ward feels like he's been mistreated by the whole team. After trying to regain Coulson's trust, Coulson called him a "deluded son of a bitch." After keeping a promise to Skye, she shot him four times. Fitz attacked him, Simmons tried to kill him, and Agent May is the reason Kara is dead. A door has been shut, and Ward is looking to burn the house down.
The Mandarin would give these nefarious individuals the opportunity to gain such revenge.
4). Hawkeye
I would love for Coulson to reveal himself to the superheroes in Captain America: Civil War (it'd be pretty [frick]ing appropriate), but we all know that isn't likely to happen. With an appearance in that movie confirmed and a Netflix feature discussed, Clint Barton still has many missions ahead of him. However, he DID technically leave the Avengers team. Why not reveal Coulson's resurrection to him then? Barton is an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has kept many secrets, what's one more? Hawkeye will still want to do good in the world, and Lord knows what Coulson could dream up for him to do. Imagine if Hawkeye was the one to finally take down Ward. THAT would be an episode none of us would want to miss.
5). More Deathlok
Look, can I address the elephant in the room? Deathlok is cheesy. Like, he's really just Deathlok lite, as the show's budget doesn't afford him to be what he is in the comics. And that's okay. I love the way it works on the show. Maybe it's just J. August Richards' charm, maybe it's the character arc that was given to him. I don't know, but I was left this season wanting more. The Deathlok technology has been around for quite some time, and Simmons told Mike Peterson that he was going to another S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where his powers would be restored. That leaves so much room for more story.
Suppose someone broke into that facility and stole the tech? Suppose Coulson's hand was repaired with a cybernetic arm made of Deathlok tech, which could then be hacked by a third party? With the Inhuman's main story arc told, it's time to branch off into other stories, and this is one that should be told; there are so many comics to choose from.
Honorable Mention
An alternate idea I had for Simmons would be that the Monolith truly is a transportation device, and it brings her across galaxies. Here, she emerges from another Monolith and meets Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, who has said he's open to an appearance on the show. Maybe the Monolith is in Taneleer Tivan's collection and she appears on Knowhere. It's a stretch, and I'm not asking for it--it'd just be neat. Something that fans have been begging for ever since the show started was for Secret Warriors to begin adaptation. I haven't read this series, but from what I have seen, it looks pretty damn cool, and there was an Easter egg to it in the season two finale. Lastly, this is a superhero universe, dammit! Start calling Skye and Bobbi by their superhero names! Quake and Mockingbird!!
While my mind is always racing with fan-fic-stic ideas, that's all I have for this article! Let me know what YOU would like to see in the comment section below!