Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will end its seven-season run with a two-hour, series finale tomorrow night, but the cast and crew said their goodbyes to the series when they wrapped filming last year. With sets being torn down and props being disposed of, you can bet some cast members were hoping to take home a few mementos. This was certainly the case for Henry Simmons, who’s long been eyeing one of Mack’s shotgun axes. Although most of his attempts to retrieve one had failed, he was finally able to secure the fan-favorite weapon with a little help.
During a roundtable for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale, Henry Simmons explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets that there was one particular shotgun axe he was hoping to own. And with many of the props set to be auctioned off anyway, he thought he could get one. Unfortunately, he was turned down multiple times, but then something amazing happened:
Look, I hear that there's this auction going on. And I did hear that the shotgun axe could sell between $10 - $15,000. And I consistently asked, 'Can I have one of the shotgun axes?’ Because one of them's like really nice, but just like a fake one, and 'No, no.' Always got the no, no, no. And two months after the season wrapped I got an email and then presented to my door at my house was a shotgun axe. I'm not gonna tell you who it was, wasn't anyone from props. It wasn't any of the executive producers. It was someone who no one would ever guess. This wonderful person gifted me with one of the prototypes of a shotgun axe. So I do in fact, have that. That was the only thing I wanted and now I have.
So it looks like Henry Simmons had a sort of guardian angel looking out for him when it came to his journey for a shotgun axe. But the actor definitely has us wondering who made the miracle happen in the first place. Regardless of who it was, it’s just good to hear that Simmons will be able to hold onto his character’s signature weapon.
The shotgun axe is one of the most unique elements within Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s vast lore, and it’s had quite a journey. During Mack’s early appearances, he wielded either a shotgun or an axe (which he used to save Coulson in the second season finale), but it wasn’t until Season 3 that he would actually construct a shotgun axe. From then on, it would become the eventual S.H.I.E.L.D. director’s weapon of choice, and it would get some nice modifications along the way.
Thankfully, for Simmons and fans, Mack got to wield the weapon again during the final season. This new iteration was designed by Deke Shaw and helped Mack do battle with Sibyl and her computers.
We’ll probably never know who reunited Henry Simmons with his beloved shotgun axe but, wherever they are, we’re absolutely thanking them for making such a beautiful moment happen.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series finale airs Wednesday, August 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
