As opening day for “Iron Man 3” nears, more and more fans are talking about the possibility of Agent Coulson appearing in the movie. Marvel has stated that Tony Stark does not know Agent Coulson is still alive, and I do not see it as time for the multi-billionaire character to find out. There are better times for Clark Gregg’s character to return to the media version of the Marvel Universe.
Agent Coulson on “S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Agent Coulson will be on Marvel’s “S.H.I.E.L.D.” show if/when it appears on TV. The first episode would be the perfect time to bring the character back before the masses. Maybe when he appears on screen, one of the characters can point to the belief of his death at the hands of Loki. A colored rectangle could appear at the bottom of the screen reading “*See ‘The Avengers’ Secretive Stan,” and give a nod to the little editor memos in comics. His reintroduction on the show would help to drive ratings for Marvel’s return to live-action TV shows. If Agent Coulson appeared in “Iron Man 3,” it would cheapen his introduction on the show.
Agent Coulson “Guardians of the Galaxy”
There is a variant possibility for the reintroduction of Agent Coulson. Why not put him in “Guardians of the Galaxy?” That movie is going to need an extra push since the public at-large is not familiar with the team. Even though there is a bigger push right now for the team with their new comic coming out within weeks (see the Detroit area variant of the first issue here), most people do not go into comic book stores, so they will not understand the importance of the team in the overall scope of the Marvel Universe. Agent Coulson might help to tie the movie in with the rest in the Marvel Universe.
Agent Coulson in “The Avengers 2”
How about Agent Coulson being kept off the big screen until “The Avengers 2?” Maybe he could be a secret member or leader of the TV team and only be reintroduced on the big screen in the next Avengers movie. They could continue to use his death as a rally call until then.
The Pop
The reintroduction of Agent Coulson will lead to one of the biggest pops the media side of Marvel has seen. The company needs to plan for this pop and set it for the time which will give the company the biggest boost. “Iron Man 3” is not the best time to place the pop. We already know the movie will be a blockbuster. It does not need the extra pop to help out.