'Agents of SHIELD' Ending Explained: What's next for the team now that they've gone their separate ways?
Spoilers for 'Agents of SHIELD' Season 7 Episode 12 and Episode 13
At long last, 'Agents of SHIELD, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first TV series, has come to an end with the two-part Season 7 finale 'The End is Nigh' / 'What We're Fighting For'. But even as the story ends the show leaves room for many of the characters to return in the future.
By the end of the finale, we have a time jump to one year later when the agents all meet again virtually in order to catch up on what's been going on in everyone's lives. In the process, we get to see a small glimpse of what might lie in the future for our beloved heroes. Here's everything we know so far about the future of the agents:
Deke Shaw (Jeff Ward)
Deke's future is determined pretty early on in the final episode 'What We're Fighting For'. After staying behind in the other timeline, Deke establishes himself as the new Director of SHIELD on that Earth and is simultaneously a rock god and the world's top spy.
It's unlikely we'll see Deke again considering how perfect that ending sounds, but the writers have left enough room for a potential return. So whether we see Deke in the MCU again or not is entirely dependent on whether someone at Marvel decides they have a story worth bringing him back for.
Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie (Henry Simmons)
While Deke might be the director in the other timeline, Mack is filling out that role in the main MCU. He's even rebuilt the helicarrier and taken to wearing an outfit that's very reminiscent of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). He's also still in a relationship, but more on that later.
Mack is actually pretty likely to show up in the MCU again, considering his high station. We're guessing he'll be a lot more hands-on than Fury so the next time someone decides to mess with SHIELD, expect Mack to show up with his classic Shotgun-Axe in hand.
Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez (Natalia Cordova-Buckley)
Yo-Yo is still in love with Mack and the two are quite the power couple. While he's director of SHIELD, she's the top field agent in the revitalized organization. She's got her own team now consisting of Piper (Briana Venskus) and a Davis LMD (Max Osinski).
Yo-Yo's return is once again a possibility but not a very strong one. She could perhaps do well in her own spinoff series but it would take a pretty special story to get her in a project with a different lead character that still does justice to Yo-Yo.
Melinda May / The Cavalry (Ming-Na Wen)
The Cavalry is firmly off the field now, putting her new empathic abilities to good use as a lecturer training the next generation of SHIELD agents. Coincidentally, the SHIELD academy has been renamed the Coulson Academy and May does appear to still be soft on the Phil Coulson LMD (Clark Gregg).
It's honestly not very likely that we'll see May again, although there is the possibility for a teen-drama style show set in the Coulson Academy and focusing on May's future adventures. In fact, Flint (Coy Stewart) could appear as a lead character if such a series does work out since he's revealed to be one of May's students but ultimately, it's unlikely that such a project might take off.
Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) and Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj)
While all the characters so far are still deeply rooted within the SHIELD, Daisy and Sousa have taken to the stars in the Zephyr-3 alongside Daisy's sister Kora (Dianne Doan). It's not immediately clear whether they're part of SHIELD or an autonomous division (SWORD, perhaps?) but it looks like they're going to spend the next few years exploring the spaceways.
Daisy and Sousa are actually quite likely to make a return since Marvel is reportedly embracing their cosmic side in future phases. Perhaps we might see them in their own series or at least as guest characters on one of Marvel's future space adventures.
Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge)
FitzSimmons are no longer bothering themselves with spy work now because they've got a lot more dangerous mission on their hands: raising their daughter Alya. By the end of the series, they're happily retired (or rather, semi-retired) and focusing on their rambunctious child.
Simmons appears to be doing a bit of lab work for Daisy though we're not sure if that's a thread that will be expanded on further. It's unlikely that we'll see Fitz or Simmons again but that's fine because we don't want to see their happiness being messed with again.
Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)
Finally, we have the man who started it all. Phil Coulson, or rather the Phil Coulson LMD, reveals that he's going to explore the world, trying to enjoy his new lease on life before he decides to turn himself off. Mack gives him a going-away present as well: a brand-new, improved version of his car Lola.
Coulson is actually very likely to show up in another MCU project, considering his new world-wanderer status. And honestly, we would like that because the idea of an MCU without a Coulson in it is just unacceptable.
'Agents of SHIELD' aired its series finale August 12 on ABC.
