Should the Avengers learn that Coulson is still alive?

[QuinnFillory]

Now that we are heading towards what could be the end of the current form of the MCU, what with Infinity War on the horizon, is it time for the Avengers to learn that Coulson, a former ally of theirs, is still alive?

I say yes. Now, I am aware of the numerous difficulties of connecting the Marvel shows to the Marvel movies. And I am also aware that the actor playing Coulson said that he thinks the Avengers have moved on from his death. However, Coulson was a big part of Phase One of the MCU, and was used by Nick Fury to be the reason for the Avengers to unite against Loki (speaking of which, he also has to face off against Loki and get some closure there). It just seems odd to me that with so many years passing, and how public his version of SHIELD has been getting, that there still is this big secret.

So, a cameo of him in the final movie should suffice.

[RikWriter]

Should they? Yes.

Will they? No.

[AJBopp]

I think Coulson best serves the story dead, and prefer to think of the TV show as a different reality space. There are several characters that will always serve the story better dead, an in some cases the creators have chosen to resurrect them anyway.

Thomas and Martha
Norman Osborn
Uncle Ben
Gwen Stacy
Bucky Barnes

These and more should live forever among the stars, never to tread this earthly plane again.

[Jokerz79]

A line in the series about them knowing is fine but in the films? No it shouldn't be acknowledged. I'm sorry I know people think the general audience knows that Coulson is alive and part of Agents of Shield but many don't they have no clue they simply don't watch. So Coulson popping up or being spoken of would confuse a large percentage of the audience.

[RikWriter]

I think Coulson best serves the story dead, and prefer to think of the TV show as a different reality space. There are several characters that will always serve the story better dead, an in some cases the creators have chosen to resurrect them anyway.

Thomas and Martha
Norman Osborn
Uncle Ben
Gwen Stacy
Bucky Barnes

These and more should live forever among the stars, never to tread this earthly plane again.

Disagree about Bucky. The Winter Soldier was an excellent story arc in the comics and in the movies.

[AndrewCrossett]

If the Avengers don't already know he's alive, they have the worst intelligence resources ever. Phil has done everything but star in his own network reality show in the time since his resurrection.

[Midvillian1322]

Yea Coulson was a wanted fugitive everyone knows hes alive. They just havent adressed it. For all weknow Feige and the Film side didnt want him to come back in the forst place. If thats the case then ignoring it would make sense.

[Frontier]

I gave up on the idea of this happening the moment the division between the TV and film side started to become more pronounced.

[MichaelC]

I think he'll likely die at the end of the series anyway, so it is likely a moot point. Once that happens, they may reference his death in the movies, but it will be completely ambiguous whether they mean his original death or his new death.

[Powerboy]

Now that we are heading towards what could be the end of the current form of the MCU, what with Infinity War on the horizon, is it time for the Avengers to learn that Coulson, a former ally of theirs, is still alive?

I say yes. Now, I am aware of the numerous difficulties of connecting the Marvel shows to the Marvel movies. And I am also aware that the actor playing Coulson said that he thinks the Avengers have moved on from his death. However, Coulson was a big part of Phase One of the MCU, and was used by Nick Fury to be the reason for the Avengers to unite against Loki (speaking of which, he also has to face off against Loki and get some closure there). It just seems odd to me that with so many years passing, and how public his version of SHIELD has been getting, that there still is this big secret.

So, a cameo of him in the final movie should suffice.

Only if he can appear in an Avengers movie and see their reactions. I don't want just a casual reference to his being alive. So, as someone already said, they should have the Avengers know but they probably won't, at least in any significant way.

[DrNewGod]

The place to surface him would be in a standalone Cap or Iron Man movie (they doing those anymore? or it is all Max Out The IP Per Film from now on)?

It might even make for a nice conflict with Nick Fury as a secondary plot of the film.

[Red Walrus]

The series was sold at the beginning with the phrase 'It's all connected'. SLJ made an appearance. I invested my time and toughed out a mostly brutal first season based on this.

Once Fiege announced it wasn't canon in his mind, I felt like a massive bait and switch had taken place.

Truthfully, I feel like one freakin' throw away line in a movie to validate the the TV shows and it's fans doesn't feel like too much to ask for.

The Avengers should know.

[RikWriter]

Once Fiege announced it wasn't canon in his mind, I felt like a massive bait and switch had taken place.

Wasn't that Joss Whedon?

[Carabas]

Wasn't that Joss Whedon?

It was Whedon.

But Feige has held the line in action if not in word that nothing that happens on tv is proper canon.
Inhuman population explosion everywhere for the last two years? The Avengers and movie!SHIELD are entirely unaware of this. Not even a minor reference.

[Powerboy]

It was Whedon.

But Feige has held the line in action if not in word that nothing that happens on tv is proper canon.
Inhuman population explosion everywhere for the last two years? The Avengers and movie!SHIELD are entirely unaware of this. Not even a minor reference.

Of course, AoS always references the events of the movies and even the Netflix stuff references the first Avengers movie so, for fans of the television shows, Whedon or anybody else saying they are not canon results in nothing but a big "WTF you talkin' about, Whedon?"