When Kevin Feige confirmed that none of the previous Marvel TV shows would be considered as canon anymore, with The Falcon and the Winter Solider set to mark the real start of the franchise’s expansion onto the small screen, that presented a lot more problems for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. than the rest of the studio’s output.
After all, Clark Gregg’s fan favorite Phil Coulson reprised his role from the movies for all seven seasons, not to mention the numerous cameos over the years from familiar faces like Jasper Sitwell, President Ellis, the Howling Commandos, Lady Sif, Peggy Carter, Maria Hill and even Nick Fury. However, because this is a comic book show we’re talking about, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. distanced itself from the big screen series by using time travel as a plot device, establishing that the final season took place in a completely different timeline.
Despite this, the recent finale still boasted a couple of connections to things fans will recognize from the movies, and one of them in particular could lead to a major character making the jump to the canonical MCU. It was revealed that Fitz’s absence was due to his experiments in the Quantum Realm, which of course was the driving force behind the plot of Avengers: Endgame, and it would appear that this is the explanation behind Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. existing in a timeline outwith the one we know from the movies.
Meanwhile, Chloe Bennett has never hidden the fact that she’d love to continue playing Quake, with rumors making the rounds that she could be brought back in the future. And given the events of the finale, it appears as though the seeds are being planted for her to be revealed as a part of S.W.O.R.D., who we already know are going to play a big role in the MCU’s upcoming projects once they’ve been officially introduced in WandaVision.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may have distanced itself from the shared universe at Marvel’s request, but it still ended on a note that loosely ties it to the wider MCU, and could also result in some of the main players returning to the fold somewhere down the line.
