Clark Gregg has joked that he’s ready to enjoy a long holiday – if his Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. alter-ego gets the axe.
The actor revealed that the storylines for the Marvel show are kept under so much secrecy that he doesn’t know what is in store for his character, Phil Coulson, ahead of the UK debut of the second series.
Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson (Channel 4/Marvel)
“I don’t know (what’s happening). They wouldn’t tell me. I’ll find out a week or two before. I just have to make sure I get a good vacation at the end of it,” he said.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., created and produced by Joss Whedon, works in tandem with the Marvel films, both past and future. The show crossed over with the latest movie, after S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were taken out by villainous corporation Hydra in the Captain America sequel, The Winter Soldier.
“If it’s anything like The Winter Soldier, I’d be invited to the screening as a favour. We walked out shocked, that we are all agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and S.H.I.E.L.D no longer exists. My heart can barely take it,” he continued.
Clark admitted finding out news about the screen deaths of his team, such as Antoine Triplett (played by BJ Britt), is hard to take.
“It’s hard enough when we lose a character like Agent Triplett," said the actor. "We were all a mess.
“We all love each other and we’re a great bunch. We must have done about 10 farewell parties for this guy because we just couldn’t bear to let go of him. I’m just starting to recover from that.”
Clark, who has reprised his Coulson role for several Marvel films including Avengers Assemble, Iron Man and Thor, is pleased with the show’s success. “We certainly felt the glare of the spotlight as we were trying to teach this mutant comic TV Marvel baby to walk, but the writers are amazing,” he explained.
“The first season, a lot of people were saying, ‘When are you going to get another Avenger on there?’ and now people say, ‘I’m so worried about (Agent Leopold ‘Leo’) Fitz, is he going to be OK?’ It’s exciting that way.”
The second series of Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. begins on Channel 4 on 27 March.
