Agents of SHIELD Plot; Phil Coulson Lives! Theories On How He Came Back From The Dead

The death of Phil Coulson was the key to really make the Avengers assemble. So why is he strutting around Level 7 in "Agents of SHIELD?"

While "Agents of SHIELD" wants more focus on the humans, the espionage and the tech, it is still part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe where nothing is impossible. Returning from the dead is not such a mean feat for comic characters, but a viable (if not logical) explanation is necessary.

Joss Whedon is a virtual wizard and he would definitely weasel himself out of this pickle. Still it would be fun to speculate. Here are some theories presented by Screenrant on how '#Coulsonlives' came about.

Coulson didn't really die

Since they never really showed his actual corpse (he was shot and assumed dead, then Nick Fury broke the news to the heroes) it is a cardinal rule in comics: Death is not final without the body (even that is not final at all).  However, this trivializes the entire "Avengers" theme-what were they avenging? Also, it makes fools out of the heroes. Highly unlikely.

Coulson is a robot

In the pilot of "Agents" Maria Hill was asked: "Does he know?" which she answers in the negative. What does Coulson not know? And if so, is he an android or cyborg? It seems a little too obvious.

Coulson is a super soldier, like Captain America

Clue from Screenrant: "Fun fact: the kid in Captain America: The First Avenger who sports the painted garbage can Cap shield is named Phil. The serum explains the slower aging.

This would explain his fondness for Captain America. Being a Super Soldier also exempts him from aging. However, if he is a Super Soldier like Cap, why is he not as powerful? Possible verdict: His procedure is not as effective as Cap's, and he might not even be aware of it (see Maria Hill reference).

There is more to Coulson than meets the eye

The Marvel Universe is filled with alien races some of which will definitely be explored in Phase 3 (after Avengers 2). Guardians of the Galaxy is already a precursor to cosmic Marvel, and comic fans have accused Coulson of being Skrull (shape shifting alien race) or Kree (prominent humanoid race) of which the character of Captain Mar-vell is from. Some have even suggested that Coulson IS Captain Mar-vell.

Which theory is correct? As of now, only Whedon knows.