An estimated 11.9 million viewers of the pilot of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may have witnessed the first appearance of a new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
How do we know? We don't, but actor Clark Gregg -- who plays team leader Agent Phil Coulson on the show -- took to Twitter to retweet a note asking Marvel to skip Agents and jump right into a new show starring two of its other characters, the android Avenger known as Vision and the mutant known as the Scarlet Witch.
Why those two? Speculators wonder if Coulson could ultimately become the Vision. The pilot added fuel to the rumor, I think, in a scene that suggests Coulson can never be made aware of the mysterious circumstances regarding his resurrection in Agents after dying on screen in Marvel's The Avengers.
One theory, of course, is that he's not exactly who he appears to be, which could open the door to introducing him later as Vision. The timing would certainly make sense. In the comics, that character's origin is tightly linked to that of the menacing robot Ultron, who also happens to be the antagonist in the upcoming Avengers sequel.
A crazy idea or an awesome approach? Either way, the good news for Walt Disney (DIS -0.55%) investors is that audiences seem to be as tuned in to the TV segment of the Marvel Universe as they are the movies, which should make it easier to build enduring franchises, Tim says. Do you agree? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand.
