Spoilers ahead for Episode 9 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7, called "As I Have Always Been."
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is only a few weeks away from ending its seven-season run on ABC, and "As I Have Always Been" delivered a big blow to the good guys by killing off one of their own: Enoch. The poor Chronicom had already dealt with being left in the past and attacked by both May and Deke, and then he donated his "heart" without hesitation to save the Zephyr and all his friends on board. Now, however, the question is whether or not Enoch is gone for good. Fortunately, actor Joel Stoffer spoke with CinemaBlend to shed some light.
When I noted that nobody is ever necessarily gone for good in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Joel Stoffer said this about whether we could see Enoch again:
I mean, as you say, in the MCU, anything is possible. Clearly, Enoch is dead, but you know, I can't say anything more about that. Other than Marvel has all kinds of cards up their sleeves.
Well, if you were holding out hope that Enoch just needs a new Electrochron Displacement Mechanism and a jumpstart to come back to life in the next couple of weeks, Joel Stoffer made it very clear that Enoch is indeed dead. If he does somehow appear again in Season 7, it seemingly won't be as simple as replacing his parts, rebooting him, and getting him back to business as usual keeping FitzSimmons' secrets.
Of course, Enoch is arguably the member of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team circa Season 7 who could most easily turn up in an MCU project despite dying. He lived for thousands of years before his tragic death in "As I Have Always Been," so he could appear in any Marvel show or movie set prior to 2020. Time travel is also a factor in the MCU now, and Enoch being dead now doesn't have to mean no more Enoch ever.
When I noted Enoch's potential to pop up in other MCU projects, Joel Stoffer answered:
Right. I would be open to that. I have not been approached, but I'd be open to it.
Based on Joel Stoffer's comments, fans shouldn't get their hopes up to see Enoch anytime too soon in one of the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series or any MCU movies that are (or were) in production, but he's open to reprising the role! Stoffer is already signed on for a role in one of Netflix's biggest shows, but that doesn't mean Enoch is out forever. Besides, if I'm going to put on my conspiracy theory hat, I'm not going to rule out more Enoch in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7.
Enoch is clearly dead... but only in the present. With Iain De Caestecker returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. before the final credits roll, I'm guessing that the show will deliver some flashbacks to Fitz and Simmons' time away as they were inventing time travel, building the Zephyr, figuring out how to save humanity, and maybe starting a family with a secret daughter.
If there are some FitzSimmons flashbacks to their time away, doesn't it stand to reason that Enoch would appear in them? He was Fitz's best friend, after all, and it seemed like he had been instrumental in their mission for the long time they were gone from the rest of their team. If he was with Fitz and Simmons, and if there are flashbacks, Enoch could totally appear again in Season 7 without undoing his death!
Admittedly, there are too many "ifs" there for fans to take it as fact that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will deliver some Fitzsimmons flashbacks featuring Enoch, but I think the odds are pretty good at this point. A lot may depend on how much Fitz is actually featured in Season 7. After all, if he only turns up in the tag of the penultimate episode and joins the action in the series finale -- or worse, doesn't appear until the finale at all -- there might not be any time for some expository flashbacks.
Find out with the final episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. For some viewing options once S.H.I.E.L.D. wraps for good in August, check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule!
