If you’ve been anywhere near a cinema lately, you’ve no doubt heard all about the gigantic blockbuster that is Avengers Infinity War.
But have you heard of the TV series known as Agents of SHIELD? I wouldn’t blame you if you haven’t, it hasn’t been nearly as widely marketed as the movies. I think one of the primary things that put a lot of people off watching Agents of SHIELD was they knew it was connected to the movies, but the movies didn’t seem at all connected to the TV series.
Even then though, it was somewhat tricky for viewers to connect the TV series with the movies. But I have been watching both the Marvel movies and Agents of SHIELD almost in synchronisation, and I’ve noticed that these two are more connected than it first appears. In fact, the TV series may actually help fill in some gaps the movies otherwise brush over.
Since season six of Agents of SHIELD isn’t coming until after the sequel to Avengers Infinity War has run its course in 2019, we’ve all got some time to catch up what we’ve missed. I’m here to provide a tolerable guide of which Marvel movies are connected to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, how they are connected and what you should bear in mind. First two connections: Avengers Assemble and Iron Man 3.
In the first episode of the first season of SHIELD, Phil Coulson, a character we all assumed to be dead, miraculously returns after being killed by Loki in Avengers Assemble. How did he return? Why? What’s he going to do now? All answered in good time through season one.
Meanwhile the experimental regeneration treatment known as Extremis from Iron Man 3 also makes a comeback, prompting Coulson to assemble a new team of personally selected SHIELD agents to tackle new threats in the world. It makes more sense to have seen both Avengers Assemble and Iron Man 3 before seeing the first episode of Agents of SHIELD, because otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. “Who is this Coulson? What is this Extremis? Where is all this coming from?” would probably be everyone’s response.
The next connection is with Thor: The Dark World. I can already hear the disgruntled groans of the movie-goers who saw the second Thor film, but bear with me for a moment. Episode 8 of SHIELD has Coulson and his team dealing with the fallout of the events from Thor: The Dark World.
And no, I’m not talking about how the movie wasn’t that good (Coulson can’t really help that), I’m talking about how the dark elves caused a lot of destruction to clean up. It’s a fairly insignificant part of the episode admittedly, but it does show that the TV series and the movies are still connected. But later on in episode 15, a much more significant connection; a prisoner from the Asgardian jails is causing trouble on Earth, after being busted free by the dark elves’ attack shown in Thor: The Dark World. Once again, something that wouldn’t make much sense without knowing what happened to cause it.
Next up is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This connection is a big one; because it deals with HYDRA’s resurgence and subsequent takeover of SHIELD. The events of The Winter Soldier take place pretty much at the same time as Episode 17 of SHIELD, the affects of which persist right through the the third season. Hopefully I’ve said enough, because I’ve already spoiled most of the best parts of season 1, but for convenience sake I’ll just list the rest of the movies and episodes that share connections.
Avengers: Age of Ultron + SHIELD Season 2 Episode 20 Captain America: Civil War + SHIELD Season 3 Episode 20 Season four of SHIELD at first appears to be devoid of any crossovers with the Marvel movies, but the idea and concepts of magic introduced in Doctor Strange are explored somewhat more throughout.
So it’s subtle, but not unimportant. There have also been very subtle connections with Guardians of the Galaxy, as the alien species known as the Kree make periodic appearances in Agents of SHIELD, before becoming a fairly large part of the fifth season.
Speaking of which, Avengers: Infinity War is tied the last four episodes of Agents of SHIELD season five. Though it is largely just mentions and foreshadowing, and it’s clear the final episode takes place maybe hours before the movie’s conclusion. But the connections are there, they’re not too easy to miss either.
I think that wraps it all up pretty much, at least until sometime after the second part of Infinity War is released next year, when SHIELD is due to come back. Hopefully this messy guide I have written has cleared up the confusion and maybe even persuaded some of you to watch Agents of SHIELD with new knowledge.
Overall, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD was some of the best television entertainment I ever got, with my dedication to the movies making it only better. I’m impatient to see the sixth season, but we’ve all waited for nearly a decade after the first Iron Man movie for Infinity War to blow our minds, so I think the wait will be worth it.