Agents of SHIELD Season 4 left Agent Coulson and the team in a vulnerable place. Tracked down by a group of mysterious spies, they were put in some sort of stasis and transported to outer space. Agent Coulson wakes up and looks out of his window to a view of the solar system.
Heading into Season 5, we’ve come up with a couple theories about what happened in the Season 4 finale, and the strongest revolves around an organization known as SWORD.
SWORD is a subdivision of SHIELD, but in space. Those agents that tailed Coulson and the team are thought to be SWORD agents sent by someone (maybe Lance Hunter or Nick Fury?) to warn SHIELD about something or bring them to space to join SWORD. This would make sense, because, the show has recently dealt with almost entirely extraterrestrial and Inhuman threats. The theory gained popularity when a (now deleted) video of Chloe Bennet surfaced on Tumblr showing a blue, Kree alien in the background.
READ: ‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Season 4 Cliffhangers: ‘Inhumans,’ Ghost Rider, Coulson And S.W.O.R.D.
The Inhumans, introduced on SHIELD and now the subject of their own show, are descendents of Kree experimentation. That's far from the only coincidental connection. Agent Coulson was resurrected using Kree DNA. The MCU may also explore the Kree-Skrull war in Captain Marvel, which arrives before the second installment of Infinity War. It may not be a coincidence Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, becomes the leader of SWORD in the comics. SWORD, led by Abigail Brand, also happens to play a large role in the Infinity storyline, working alongside the Guardians. All of this makes the re-emergence of the Kree on SHIELD a no brainer.
Coulson didn’t seem to be in any particular danger in the post-credits teaser revealing the new space scenery, which has led fans to believe this is a good organization he’s dealing with. The recently released poster only gives this theory more steam. The caption reads: “This season, Marvel's #AgentsofSHIELD will be out of this world...far out of this world.”
But there’s a lot more riding on the introduction of SWORD than meets the eye. If this theory proves true, it could mean this is how Agents of SHIELD will link back up with the events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the Inhumans TV series. Agents of SHIELD will be celebrating its 100th episode this season, and Agent Coulson is the most famous character connecting Marvel’s film and TV universes. Clark Gregg is one of the GOATS in that respect.
As far as the cinematic universe goes, why wouldn’t SWORD be involved if Thanos’ Black Order is threatening Earth? SWORD is a cosmic defense organization. Who knows how long it’s been around, but maybe it’s what Nick Fury has been doing since he faked his death in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. SWORD has stayed under the radar for years because it’s the only advantage they have to combat Thanos ruling with the Infinity Gauntlet and all the stones.
Another interesting question is whether Team SHIELD's fate had anything to do with Coulson’s deal with Ghost Rider. Robbie tells Coulson that he cannot inform the rest of the team about their deal with the devil until the appropriate time. Ghost Rider has acquired some serious knowledge after being blasted through the interdimensional gate into the multiverse. It’s possible the deal with Coulson involves protecting Earth from new intergalactic threats. Only he and Coulson know what’s coming and it could be some sort of invasion -- Infinity War.
READ: ‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Season 4: The Koenig Quadruplets & Anton Ivanov Answer Deep-Rooted Questions
This brings us to another fan theory: The Man On The Wall. In the comics, this position was held by the Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury. He very well could be the man in the MCU, but he’s also not the director of SHIELD. Coulson is, and to our knowledge, Coulson has played a much more active role in protecting Earth against extraterrestrial threats.
Here’s how Nick Fury described his duties as the Man On The Wall during Marvel’s Original Sin event, written by Jason Aaron:
“I've killed... More times than I can count. I've burned worlds. Destabilized galaxies. Dethroned gods. And I did it without any of them even knowing my name. That's what it means to be the man on the wall. To be the invisible monster who keeps the other monsters at bay.”
This could be a reach, and probably is, but what if the deal Coulson made with Ghost Rider is to become a pseudo-Man On The Wall? Or, it’s possible Ghost Rider becomes a version of Man On The Wall, since he can travel through galaxies and possesses powers we don’t fully understand. He’s definitely fits the ‘monster’ description.
There’s also another theory when it comes to Agents Of SHIELD. That post-credits scene showed a glowing blue ball of light that looked like a planet. Many speculated it was Attilan, the moon civilization of the Inhumans. From the IMAX screening, we learn the Inhumans were forced to flee Attilan. It’s possible Coulson is in space to help the Inhuman Royal Family, who are basically now refugees on Earth. Perhaps a crossover could be in the works?
Whatever the case, it’s clear space is the new battleground for the MCU. Let’s just hope Fox doesn’t have the rights to SWORD, since it was introduced in X-Men comics. Do you think these theories will play out, or are they complete bullshit? Let us know.
