Agent Coulson Won’t Appear In ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron,’ Says Joss Whedon

Somewhere along the line, Agent Coulson became the breakout star of the Marvel film universe. Appearing in nearly every Marvel Studios film from the first Iron Man up to Avengers, Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, grew in popularity in a way that very few likely imagined. All this has culminated in Coulson being one of the stars of the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series from ABC. So while the character will be getting even more screen time on television this fall, one place you likely won't see him, according to director Joss Whedon, is in the newly titled Avengers: Age of Ultron film.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Whedon explained the reasoning behind not having Coulson appear in the Avengers sequel:

Right now it's not something I'm pursuing because I have so much going on in Avengers 2. Finding out that Coulson is alive would be an entire B story. And I already have too much movie. That's better than the other thing.

 

Discussing the possibility of having characters like Coulson and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury appear in both the films and the TV series, which takes place in the same universe, Whedon shared the following:

But we also have the movies and we have TV and we need to make sure there's some crossover, but not so much that people go, 'Well, I don't need to see that movie. I saw it on TV.' If we do that (Marvel Studios President) Kevin Feige is going to come after me with a pitchfork.

 

So unless something changes (or unless this is a clever ruse on the part of Whedon), fans of Coulson will have to settle on getting their fill on the small screen.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on ABC on Sep. 24. Avengers: Age of Ultron arrives in theaters May 2015.

[Via ScreenCrush]