Is Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. Canon?

One of the hotly debated questions from Marvel fans is whether or not Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. is canon to the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. This question stretches to all of the TV shows which were produced by different studios. All of the Netflix shows which featured major Marvel characters from the comics have the same question, but it is Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. which poses the most debates due to Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) revival after his death in The Avengers movie. Having a character that featured heavily in phase 1 of the MCU feature in the show is what causes the debate to be common as some believe due to the connectivity to the movies that it is canon, whereas others believe that because it doesn’t feature the big names from the movies that it isn’t canon.

My opinion:

Firstly I would just like to get my opinion out there. Personally I really enjoyed Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. in the early parts of the show due to it focusing on threats that were much more grounded and fit with the level of the show. However, when the show started to deal with space and all the mystical aspects of the MCU I found myself losing interest as the threats felt much more severe than a small team should be able to deal with.

As for whether the show is canon my personal opinion is that I choose not to recognise the show as canon. There are a number of reasons for this, but for me the main reason is that the show creates more confusion about the cinematic universe than it should. The lack of a major Avenger is the reason for this as I find it hard to believe that the Avengers wouldn’t be alerted to the threats that the S.H.E.I.L.D. team deal with. This once again is why I enjoy the earlier seasons as the show was much more grounded and made sense for no Avengers to appear.

However, I would like to say I understand why people do view the show as canon and I appreciate their reasons. To a certain extent I do agree with them because the show does add to the universe as a whole even if it is confusing and has to be dissected much more than necessary.

Why the show is Canon?

If we look at the reasons for the show being canon, the main point is the show exists within the timeline of the overall story and makes reference to the events of the movies. For that reason you are well within your rights to view the show as canon and it’s hard to argue against this.

As well as this the show deals with the fallout of all the major movies. This began in season 1 when the show dealt with the collapse of S.H.E.I.L.D. which if I had to be honest is what ruined the show for me. However, the show also dealt with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War which is what adds to the show being canon. It is very hard to argue against this, but with the direction the MCU is moving in it does make it harder to justify this argument.

But is it really?

An easy argument to make about the show not being canon is the fact the Darkhold made an appearance in WandaVision in a completely different form that it was in Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. and the Runaways. As such the clear difference, although being a magical book does suggest that the MCU wants to avoid connection of the ABC Studios show. Problems like this continue to occur in the show as questions that shouldn’t be raised are asked by the show. The fact that Agent Coulson returns for the show and nobody knows about it is one of these questions which are hard to look past. Yes, it was meant to be kept secret but when Black Widow (Scarlett Johannsson) leaked all of Hydra and S.H.E.I.L.D’s secrets onto the net it would surely expose Agent Coulson to still be alive.

Moreover, the introduction of the Darkhold in WandaVision could start a trend that completely invalidates everything the show has done. Ghost Rider who was played by Gabriel Luna has a big chance of being recast in the main MCU story. Yes, many different people have used the name Ghost Rider in the comics, but if we eventually get a Ghost Rider appearance in the future we know that he will not reference what happened in Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.

This is a problem that could continue in the MCU as the universe expands. I’m sure that Kevin Fiege will at some stage want to introduce The Defenders into the MCU which although not being Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. does come under the same bracket. With The Defenders a big problem is the fact that Luke Cage villain Cottonmouth was played by the man set to play Blade Mahershala Ali. Are we just to accept that the Vampire Slayer looks exactly like a Luke Cage villain?

This is why I choose to treat these series as separate to the MCU. Including them as canon causes problems and questions which when trying to explain and answer can become a difficult task. Whereas if you don’t treat the shows made by different studios as canon you will find the journey you are on in the MCU is much clearer and easier to understand.

Does Canon matter anymore?

Ultimately we can debate this question for as long as we want but we won’t know until Kevin Fiege makes a statement on it. Also, if you enjoy Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. or any of the other shows then you is in your rights to view it as canon, hell you can view it however you want. My viewing experience is different to many as I choose the watch my movies in a different order than the traditional timeline order. Something which I have been debating since Avengers: Endgame when different realities were introduced into the MCU, is viewing the show as a different reality which means although not taking place in the main timeline, the events do take place in Marvel Multiverse. As such it really doesn’t matter how you watch the show as long as you enjoy it.

Images:

Marvel Studios

ABC Studios

Netflix