50 shades of Agent Phil
Agent Coulson is the coolest hero in Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. – and he doesn’t even have superpowers!
The Avengers movies (2012- current) might have introduced audiences to some of Marvel Comics most popular superheroes like Thor and Iron Man (Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr), but there’s a guy who stands out in the franchise and that is Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) from Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013- current; seasons 1-3 are now available on internet streaming service Showmax). He’s an average guy on the outside, but on the inside Agent Phil is a man of integrity, honesty, belief and the need to do what’s right. His character resonates with his superhero sidekicks and Clark jokes that “we [Agents] are the line between the world and the very much weirder world. We are here to save the planet from the craziest things”.
THE TEAM
But this “superhero” doesn’t work alone and what Agent Phil’s team lack in superpowers, they make up for with their special abilities to defuse any situation. “Coulson’s ability to take control of a situation takes his team wherever they need to be in the world,” explains Clark. Each member comes with a specific skill – Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz (Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker) are “Agent Fitz-Simmons” – she’s a biochemist and he’s an engineer who keep all their tech toys ready for battle. Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) is an expert pilot and martial artist. Agent Ward (Brett Dalton) is trained in combat and espionage. And filling out the last spot is Daisy “Skye” Johnson (Chloe Bennet), a computer hacker who adds digital wizardry to the team.
I’LL BE BACK
The S.H.I.E.L.D. team have no clue about Agent Phil’s death in the first Avengers film. In fact, neither does he, explains show creator Joss Whedon. Phil thinks that he was sent to Tahiti for a few days to recover, “But we came up with an ingenious resurrection idea – his boss Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson in the Avengers movie) pulled a few strings using alien technology to save him,” reveals Joss. “They also adjusted Phil’s memories so that he thinks he was in Tahiti recovering from the Avengers alien war in New York,” but that only lasts until the end of season one when Phil learns the truth but chooses ignores it.
CHARACTER COOL
Agent Phil is also the go-to guy for anything and everything. Besides being their fearless leader, he’s also an all- out dad to the team, as well as a mechanic, a mentor, he organises IT goodies for Fitz-Simmons, he organises guns and ammo and Clark says that “he is totally the Team Dad. Agent Phil looks after the team like they are his own family – and he has so many personalities, from funny and weepy Coulson to revenge and cool-dude Coulson. Okay, maybe not the last one…”
GO-GO GADGET GUY
The beloved cargo plane better known as The Bus flies the Agents all over for missions. From the outside, it looks like a simple aircraft, but on the inside it’s a mobile command centre. And it’s also home to Lola, Agent Phil’s cherished cherry-red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a secret of its own. “Lola is not just a collectable, you know? People tend to confuse the words new and improved…” hints Agent Phil to Ward in season 1 episode 22. But even Ward doesn’t expect to see Coulson fly off into the sunset in Lola. See? You don’t need to be an extraordinary hero to be as outstanding as Agent Phil!