Rumor Report: Will S.H.I.E.L.D. Star Chloe Bennet Return To The MCU?
If vague rumors are to be believed, then things could be shaking up within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Long before WandaVision sparked pretty much every type of fan theory under the sun, even before the Marvel Netflix shows took the franchise into darker, grittier territory than ever before, there was a little show on ABC called Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After the incredible success of 2012's The Avengers, the studio got to work on bringing the phenomenon to the small screen. While Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) seemingly bit the dust in The Avengers, he was brought back to life to lead a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in stopping all of the otherworldly threats the regular superheroes didn't have the time to deal with.
But that didn't mean the series was lacking when it came to superpowers. People may have tuned in for Phil Coulson, but young agent Skye (Chloe Bennet) quickly became a fan favorite. It was eventually revealed that Skye was actually an Inhuman with the power to control vibrations, giving her the ability to manifest earthquakes. She took on the name "Quake" and soon proved to be a useful asset to the team as they tackled increasingly powerful foes.
Sadly, fans never got the chance to see her test her powers against the likes of Captain America or Ant-Man. While the events of the MCU films would impact what happened on the show (most notably with the big plot twist in Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. never truly factored into the movies. With the show coming to a close in August of 2020, it seemed like those doors had been shut for good... but never say never in the MCU.
Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
How Quake could return to the MCU
It's important to note that fans should take this rumor with a heavy grain of salt. The report comes from Giant Freakin' Robot, who lists their evidence as coming from a "trusted inside source." That means there's absolutely no official comment from Marvel Studios or from Bennet herself. As of right now, we don't know for sure if a Quake return is really in the cards.
That being said, Giant Freakin' Robot hints that there are talks of Quake making an appearance on the future Disney+ series Secret Invasion. Of all the properties for Quake to potentially join, this one certainly makes the most amount of sense. The basic premise of the Secret Wars comic books that inspired the project is that a group of Skrulls have infiltrated pretty much every sector of the planet, including the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Considering that Captain Marvel made the Skrulls more sympathetic, it's unclear what kind of deviations the series will need to make from the books, but one could see a scenario in which Quake re-enters the picture.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended with Quake out exploring the cosmos, so over the course of those adventures, it's possible that she could get in the middle of a Skrull-Kree conflict. Her adventures could lead her back to Earth and into the Secret Wars story line, bridging the gap between Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the rest of the MCU proper. While there's been no comment from Bennet on this particular rumor, she told Looper during our recent interview that she'd love to come back in some manner, and the stars appear to be aligning... if you squint really hard.
Why Quake's return isn't a done deal yet
People say plenty of things online, especially when it comes to Marvel movies. Rumors have circulated in the past about how Charlie Cox could reprise his role as Daredevil in Spider-Man 3 or that Luke Cage (Mike Colter) could come back in some fashion. As of right now, both of those rumors appear to be unfounded, and the Quake news falls into the same category.
The fact of the matter is that Marvel plays its cards close to its chest. If news were to come out regarding the MCU formally connecting with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in some way, there would be a full-fledged announcement. That's not to say there aren't potentially talks about bringing Quake back, but talk is cheap. Marvel has a huge cast of characters at its disposal, including plenty from the comics who have yet to make an appearance on screen. Those behind the scenes likely talk about anyone and everyone making an appearance, but that doesn't signal anything tangible until the project's complete.
Even though we can imagine how it might be done, it still seems like a stretch to bring Quake back after going to such great lengths to ensure Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. never impacted anything else in the MCU while it was on TV. Granted, the franchise is clearly going into some weird directions, with the multiverse becoming a force to be reckoned with in Doctor Strange 2 and Spider-Man 3. Perhaps Quake's time in the sun has finally come.
We'll just have to wait until something more official comes out to know for certain.