Marvel

Both phases one and two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with ‘Iron Man,’ which in turn has afforded us the biggest spotlight on S.H.I.E.L.D. for its technology-based approach, and integral relationship with Tony Stark. And while Disney may have shellheaded out a sizable chunk of change to keep Robert Downey Jr. around for ‘Avengers’ 2 and 3, we don’t imagine an appearance on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ to come easily.

That said, the world of ‘Iron Man’ splatters itself all over ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ from the very pilot, including everything from technology references to bus ads, making the presence of Tony Stark very much felt in spirit. We won’t reveal everything straight away, but an element of the ‘Iron Man’ films ties in very specifically to the pilot plot, and suggests the world around Tony Stark may in fact prove the the most convenient to pull from, particularly given the lack of a fourth ‘Iron Man.’

On the subject of guest appearances, we’re drawn to Sam Rockwell’s earlier words about reprising the role of Justin Hammer, given the character’s largely unresolved presence in ‘Iron Man 2’ ranked among the more generally agreeable aspects of the film. Rockwell isn’t known for his willingness to do TV these days, but then again, we hadn’t thought to see Gwyneth Paltrow on network TV before ‘Glee’ either.

There of course remains the matter of Agent Coulson’s unexplained resurrection, which we learn to have far deeper origins than those presented within the ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ pilot. We’d imagine playing out that arc would provide the richest dramatic soil, and the best potential to incorporate either Gwyneth Paltrow or Robert Downey Jr. in helping Coulson cope with the truth.