Of course, these days there’s considerable debate as to whether or not “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is even a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s more than a little bit surprising given how easy it would seemingly be for Marvel bosses to merely write the entire narrative of the series off as one of many in the ever-expanding multiverse — particularly as it’s fronted by O.G. MCU stalwart Phil Coulson. On top of that, the series itself should make such an approach all the easier, as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” sort of beat its big screen brethren to the multiverse market by exploring several timelines and alternate universes during its run.

While on the air, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” also earned itself quite a devoted following. Despite its popularity and the fact that the series’ early episodes regularly reference events and characters from the Marvel universe, even featuring cameos by MCU stars Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Alexander (Sif from the “Thor” franchise), Marvel bosses still won’t signal whether or not it is legitimately part of MCU canon. And, as noted by Dave Gonzalez and Joanna Robinson in their recent book, “MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,” Joss Whedon has even made claims that Marvel brass didn’t want the series to get off the ground in the first place.

As the deck was potentially stacked against “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” to begin with, it’s sort of miraculous the show actually sent 136 episodes to air. And given both its success and enduring fandom, it’s a little baffling that Marvel bosses have somehow not embraced “S.H.I.E.L.D.” wholeheartedly.

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