Yes, I’ll Have The Crow, Please

Back in January I served up a steaming hot helping of Fan Theory related to the Marvel Living Universe. (MLU? It’s my term and a better one than “Marvel Cinematic Universe”. I mentioned it here.) Minor spoilers ahead for The Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Still with me? Excellent! Let’s get our geek on!

This particular theory dealt with Agent Phil Coulson’s appearance in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. after his apparent death at Loki’s hands in The Avengers. After the film’s success and the announcement of the TV series, fan theories began making their way around social media describing how Coulson could reappear on the show. A popular theory that was my favorite said that the Coulson we’d meet on the show would actually be an “android”, later called a “synthezoid”, carrying the digitized psyche of Phil Coulson — who truly died in the movie and gave the fledgling team “something to avenge”.

My serving of crow began marinating in my post “…I Had a Vision, and There Before Me Was a Man Made of Red…” as I connected that theory to the comic book character (confirmed for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron) Vision and the events seen in the TV show’s episode “The Magical Place” (season 1, episode 11). My fanboy exuberance was free-flowing as I walked methodically through the movie, TV show, and comicbooks to bring us to the logical conclusion that Coulson would become Vision.

Awesome theory — and since disproved.

 These things happen. Clark Gregg will not portray a superhero and apparently will continue on the TV series as fan favorite Coulson. (Will the Avengers find out that he survived, though? Will he appear in the sequel? I hope so! But will the team have to change their name to “Misdirected Avengers”? “Avengers of a False Premise”?) Paul Bettany, the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. in every film that Iron Man appeared in, will be our new Man In Of Red.

So this post is me chowing down on my self-prepared helping of crow. That’s OK. Reckless speculation is part of the fun watching these living adaptations of our favorites stories and characters unfold. The background information on Vision in my post is still relevant although there’s no telling how much of the backstory might still apply. You can bet that come next spring, I’ll be sitting in the theater as soon as the next movie comes out, waiting to see what happens next.

I’ll save you a seat!