Production is officially underway for the highly anticipated addition to the MCU, Captain Marvel, set to release March 8, 2019, and with it comes some familiar (and dead) faces! We know that this film will take place in the 1990s, so it’s an added bonus to bring back some of those heroes and villains that bit the dust in more recent films.
Let’s kick this list off with everyone’s favorite Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D!
Clark Gregg aka Phil Coulson
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We saw in The Avengers (2012) that while Nick Fury might be the brains behind S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Phil Coulson is without a doubt the heart. So much so, he literally took an Infinity Stone infused scepter through that heart, courtesy of Loki, leaving him to die. His death is what drives the Avengers into action, knowing that a good man who had touched most of their lives in one or another film installment, gave his life for them to carry on the fight.
Regardless of his status (alive or dead) on the television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, as far as the Cinematic Universe is concerned, Phil Coulson is dead. In need of another briefcase-toting government figure, we’ve recently been introduced to Martin Freeman’s Agent Ross who takes over the “Coulson” type role being the liaison to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
There was mention of Agent Ross being a former Air Force pilot in Black Panther (2018) just like our leading lady Carol Danvers, so if we get to see young Clark Gregg interact with a young Martin Freeman possibly getting flying lessons from Captain Marvel, that would be something! Knowing more about Agent Coulson’s backstory is definitely worth diving in to. Marvel has invested a lot in Clark Gregg so to bring him back in the mix, even in the past, shows how loyal this studio is to playing the long game, even when it comes to character reveals.
Lee Pace aka Ronan The Accuser
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Lee Pace joined the MCU as Ronan the Accuser, the Kree fanatic determined to wipe out all life on the planet Xandar, in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). The Kree are set to play a significant role in Captain Marvel so while Ronan was obliterated by the Guardians with the power stone, it’s exciting that he’s coming back… possibly less homicidal?
What’s so smart about bringing Ronan back is that while he posed a great threat, we never really got to go deeper with him other than hearing of his devotion to Kree tradition and how he blames humans for taking the life of his father, and his father before him. I want to know what makes this guy tick. How did he become allies with Thanos? Who was his father? Can Captain Marvel give us answers to the future by looking to the past?
Djimon Hounsou aka Korath the Pursuer
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We barely got to know Korath before Drax ripped his cybernetic skull implant out, so upon hearing he’ll be back as the Kree mercenary, this opens the doors wide for more details about this alien species and more importantly, what are their motives and where do they stem from? A guy doesn’t get the nickname the Pursuer for no reason.
With Korath set to return, we can learn more about the Kree soldier order and how he and Ronan paired up in the first place. Was their goal always vengeance or is there some deeper bond we have yet to uncover? Marvel is infamous for making damn sure everything in their world is connected. It would be one thing just to bring back Ronan, the token Kree, but it really gets interesting adding a young Korath to the mix. There is definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to Korath and Hounsou has the talent and charisma to pull off whatever hidden tricks are about to come to light.
This production update begs the question, will we see more beloved characters making future appearances after their on-screen demise? With the body count expected to get pretty high in Infinity War, this is a surefire means of securing the future of the next phase without forgetting the former.