Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. canon to the MCU? Here's what we know

While Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the first series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and acknowledges the existence of other films and shows in the franchise, its status in the MCU canon has been mysterious since its debut.

Created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC in 2013, the show started as a direct spin-off of The Avengers that followed the SHIELD organization, which was first mentioned in the Marvel movies.

The show was considered canon since Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson (protagonist of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) also appears in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, throughout its seven-season run, the show has featured many events that can be classified as retconned, thus complicating its status in the MCU's sacred timeline.

Multiple timelines, alternate realities, and Phil Coulson appearing in the MCU canon make the show fit into Marvel's Multiverse Saga.

More on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. status in the MCU canon in our story.

Exploring ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. status in the MCU canon

While the status of ABC's 2013 series has always been a topic of debate among Marvel fans, the series closely aligns with the events of the MCU canon even when any of its characters (except Phil) have not yet appeared in the films.

Classifying Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU canon was difficult because of its separate storyline and individual characters. However, Kevin Feige addressed the existence of spin-off shows like SHIELD in his book The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline.

While Feige did not classify shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in MCU's canon, his book forward quote opens doors to many possibilities and categorizes the show in the Multiverse:

"On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories - movies and series - that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel's history...But, as we move forward and dive deeper into the Multiverse Saga, you never know when timelines may just crash or converge (hint, hint/ spoiler alert)."

Any lingering doubts about the show's status in the MCU canon were cleared by Marvel Studios' Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, with ScreenRant, as he confirmed that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fits into the MCU Multiverse:

"'It [SHIELD] really is connected!' I think that there is, in a crazy way, like you said, it does feel like it fits into The Multiverse Saga in an incredible way."

He added:

"I think that Agents of SHIELD is a really great show and there was a long time where some of the best reveals in that show were during the Winter Soldier era where Hydra emerges and you're like, 'Oh my gosh!' I remember that feeling, even knowing what was happening..."

While Marvel may not acknowledge the show's connection to the sacred timeline, the show's events aptly fit into the MCU's main timeline. In addition, it was Coulson who secretly helped the superheroes locate Loki's scepter in Avengers: Age of Ultron, making him more aligned with the canon.

With Spider-Man: No Way Home opening doors to the Multiverse, the show aptly aligns with the MCU, and the above comments add to its status. While its status is still not confirmed, it can be concluded that it fits well within the Multiverse, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters might get their proper due in upcoming Avengers movies.

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