‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Star Explains Why the Series Has Not Been Canonized

Originally posted on Murphy's Multiverse
By Charles Murphy | Last updated 4/25/24

Following the creative retooling of Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios made the decision to retroactively canonize the events of Netflix’s Defenders-verse series. That move led to Daredevil stars Deborah Ann Woll , Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel and Ayelet Zurer all being brought back to reprise their respective roles after previously having been recast or left out entirely. With the studio showing a willingness to add several projects to their carefully curated Sacred Timeline, fans of another popular TV series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., believed the network melodrama would be adopted as canon as well; however, that’s still not the case and one of the series’ stars thinks she knows why.

During an interview with Katee Sackhoff, AoS star Ming-Na Wen said the show’s status as a network project is the underlying reason it isn’t part of the Sacred Timeline.

Wen’s explanation came after Sackhoff asked the actress if she’d been approached by Marvel Studios to reprise her role as Melinda May, also known as The Cavalry. “No, they have not…it’s weird,” explained Wen. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. sort of became a separate entity for whatever reason,” she continued, “because it was on the network as opposed to streaming. I think there’s some – and this is where my obliviousness also helps because I don’t understand it, so you’re asking the wrong person, I just know that there’s some sort of division.“

Like the Defenders-verse series that streamed on Netflix, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was developed and produced by the now defunct Marvel Television, a branch of Marvel Entertainment Following a 2015 rift between Ike Perlmutter and Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios essentially became its own entiy with no ties to Marvel Entertainment or Perlmutter. This is almost certainly the “division” to which Wen is referring, though it’s interesting that she believes S.H.I.E.L.D.S’s status as a network show may play a further role in that division.

The reality is that with Marvel Studios deep into their Multiverse Saga, everything is canon to the Multiverse. So while shows like Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are all firmly set on the Sacred Timeline, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and X-Men ’97 are still part of the Marvel Multiverse. If Deadpool & Wolverine can find a way to incorporate Channing Tatum ‘s Gambit into the Multiverse, surely there’s room for Fitzsimonns as well.