Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. welcomed back Agent Carter’s Daniel Sousa in last week’s episode, which was the culmination of some hints from long ago. However, it turns out that Enver Gjokaj's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost happened in a completely different way.
Enver Gjokaj may have made his first major MCU appearance in Agent Carter in 2016, but hardcore fans may remember that he also appeared as another character in a previous project. And this could've been how Gjokaj was going to be re-introduced before the character of Daniel Sousa was conceived. Asked about getting the call from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s showrunners about reprising his role as Daniel Sousa, Gjokaj told TVLine:
It was very unexpected. There had been talk, for years, from Joss [Whedon] and Jed and Mo…. There was actually almost a bit of a ‘false alarm’ where this may have happened a while ago. There’d been talk of trying to get back my appearance from [2012’s] The Avengers, as that [New York] cop. There was talk of tying in my cop that appeared in The Avengers, but nothing was ever official. And then this came out of nowhere. And I was thrilled! I was thrilled.
That's right. At one point, the plan was to tie Enver Gjokaj’s cameo from The Avengers into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unfortunately for fans, that crossover action never ended up happening. While MCU characters like Maria Hill and Lady Sif have appeared on S.H.I.E.L.D., fans would've welcomed another direct link between the TV series and the expansive film franchise. Or at least, I would think so.
Of course, the fact that Joss Whedon worked with Enver Gjokaj on The Avengers could be another reason why the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-creator wanted to bring him onto the show. Whedon is known for collaborating with the same actors on different projects. Some examples would include J. August Richards and Ron Glass, who both appeared on other Whedon-helmed projects before appearing on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Although the initial goal was to use Enver Gjokaj in a way that connected to his Avengers role, he still managed to find a golden opportunity in Agent Carter. And his role on that show, paired with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s time travel-centric season, made for the perfect time to bring back Daniel Sousa. All in all, he hasn't done too bad in the Marvel franchise.
With Enver Gjokaj’s return, many were also expecting to see his Agent Carter co-star, Hayley Atwell, reprise her eponymous role, but it would seem that those dreams have been dashed. Atwell recently responded to a user on Instagram with a “no” when he expressed his hope to soon see Atwell on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s final season.
Still, fans have all of the drama surrounding Daniel Sousa to keep them busy. CinemaBlend’s Laura Hurley has even pointed to the possibility that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may have to kill off the character. Between wondering what will become of Sousa or May and LMD Coulson’s relationship, there's a lot to consider.
In the end, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter fans probably approve of Enver Gjokaj playing Daniel Sousa, a character that somehow connects to his brief appearance in The Avengers. While die-hard Marvel fans would have picked up on the story, giving him a more definitive role was ultimately a win for both shows, which appears to be in the fans' best interest.
Tune in to see what happens with Agent Carter’s Daniel Sousa when new episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s final season air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. It's one of this summer’s premieres. You can also stream past seasons on Netflix alongside a lot of new 2020 content.
