How Enver Gjokaj Really Felt About Returning As Agent Sousa
Contains spoilers for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Enver Gjokaj made a name for himself within the Marvel Cinematic Universe when the House of Heroes cast him as the striking Agent Daniel Sousa on the short-lived series Agent Carter, a spin-off of the Captain America film franchise that centered on Hayley Atwell's titular character Peggy Carter. But Agent Sousa wasn't actually Gjokaj's first MCU role: In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sort of way, he popped up as a young cop in 2012's The Avengers, during the climactic Battle of New York sequence. Gjokaj must have impressed someone with the smaller part, as he went on to clinch the role of the fan-favorite Agent Sousa on not one but two MCU series — eventually landing a one-season stint on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
While the actor had already said goodbye to the MCU twice (for what he probably thought was the last time), Gjokaj bid farewell yet again when S.H.I.E.L.D. ended after seven seasons. Gjokaj didn't appear on the show until the final season, but his return to the character was an emotional ride.
Looper participated in a roundtable interview with the S.H.I.E.L.D. cast to celebrate one last hurrah before the series ended for good. Gjokaj, Clark Gregg (who plays Agent Phil Coulson), and Chloe Bennet (the actress behind Daisy Johnson, aka Quake) were seated together to talk — and cry about — all things Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So, how did the agent who basically ghosted Peggy Carter feel about being back as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent?
Enver Gjokaj gets back to his roots on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
As it turns out, appearing on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't just mark a Marvel reunion for Gjokaj — it also offered the actor a chance to team up with his old Dollhouse love interest Dichen Lachman, who played Jiaying Johnson on S.H.I.E.L.D. When asked if Gjokaj's season 7 debut felt like the best of both worlds — Dollhouse and the MCU — Gregg was quick to chime in to answer for Gjokaj: "Say yes, Enver. Say yes."
Gjokaj embraced the sentiment even further, declaring, "It was better. It was better." He added, "One of the really cool things about joining the cast was [they] made it clear that they didn't want to just reprise Sousa from the moment that he left [Agent Carter]. They wanted to go ahead and see that some time had passed and he had continued to advance in the ranks and with his skills. They wanted to see more of a super agent. They wanted Daniel to be a little bit further along."
Gregg, ever the cheerleader, piped in with, "And that's what they got, people."
Gjokaj continued his answer, saying, "So that was fun because I got to have the best of both worlds. I got to continue that character in a way that that trajectory would have gone on if Agent Carter had gone on."
But the honor wasn't just professional for Gjokaj. He's a fan of Marvel, too — making it that much sweeter. "When I collected Marvel [comics] when I was a kid, I loved What If...? comics. I don't know if you guys remember What If...? comics, [but] this felt like such an amazing What If?" the actor shared. "'What if Daniel Sousa joined the cast?' So I thought it was just a blast."
Is this really the end of Sousa?
Given that Marvel is adapting What If...? for a Disney+ series, there could be a chance for another Sousa reunion after all. Just because Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. officially ended doesn't mean there isn't room for the characters to appear in other corners of the MCU. If Marvel can find a way to bring a character from the '40s to the present day — and not look a day older than when he left — the company can certainly find a place for some of the S.H.I.E.L.D. family in one of the upcoming Marvel shows slated for the streaming service.
The series finale of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired Wednesday, August 12, and is available to stream on ABC.