"A source" sounds sufficiently non-descript and shifty. Would take this info with a grain of salt... I'm going to avoid reading it in any case.

libradude | April 26, 13:02 CET

"A source" is why I added the question mark. :) But, this is just a more detailed version of what fans have been guessing for awhile.

The correct answer is obviously "missing Cylon."

Sunfire | April 26, 13:05 CET

Damn it ! I still hope that Willow will resurrect him. Fingers crossed ! :-)

Stelian | April 26, 13:18 CET

Slashfilm is fairly reliable so I think this has the air of truth about it.

Simon | April 26, 13:20 CET

The summer before season seven of Buffy, I tried my hand at fan fiction, writing a few stories about how I would dig the series out of the hole that was the end of season six. It was fun. I had a blast. Naturally, I was completely and totally wrong.

What you have in the above link (which i will avoid describing for those of you who didn't read (SPOILER) at the top of the thread) is at best a sliver. Perhaps what we're told up front, but it won't be enough and later on down the line a reveal will pull back the layers of that onion. It's the Marvel Universe. No one ever really dies, they just lose or gain favor. It's also Joss' universe, in which we know things do die, often painfully with a great deal of suffering, but if someone must be brought back, there is ALWAYS a cost. And just a soul? That's so 90s. There's inflation concerns, cost of living increases, and a mere soul just isn't worth what it used to be.

Whedon will bring back Coulson somehow. That's beyond spoilery at this point. It's public knowledge. However, Joss will make certain a price is exacted. It must be earned.

ZachsMind | April 26, 13:23 CET

Clearly the British version of The Avengers on DVD/Blu-ray is canon and the US isn't. Also if I was a betting man, I think we'll see the Coulson "death" scene appear in SHIELD* and then we see what happens immediately afterwards. Jackson and Smulders probably guesting in the pilot as well.

*maybe even filmed from a different perspective

Simon | April 26, 13:28 CET

You mean I was right all along? That will be the first and last time that happens. :)

IrrationaliTV | April 26, 13:54 CET

Based on his most recent tweet Clark Gregg has seen this story and isn't too impressed.

Derf | April 26, 15:24 CET

It sounds far too much of a cheat to be real. "forced to hold his breath"? If this turns out to be real, it's a massive cop out.

apollo11 | April 26, 15:36 CET

It's the Marvel Universe. LMDs. There we go.

Gouki | April 26, 16:43 CET

Trying with all my might not to click on this article. If the show doesn't get picked up I'll come back and read it :D

eddy | April 26, 16:59 CET

Quite frankly it sounds a little lazy for Joss, considering there are so many cooler ways to pull such a trick (thinking of Spike's return in Angel S5 E1).

MrArg | April 26, 17:24 CET

Doesn't sound like what Joss would do.

AnonymousAnimus | April 26, 18:08 CET

I question if Joss has full creative control here, I imagine there are a few things he was told he had to do. Plus, I think this is one of the few explanations that would make sense in the universe we've come to know so far. While people are resurrected all of the time in the comics, it would be a greater stretch I the MCU.

Jelly | April 26, 18:22 CET

@mrarg spike's return was a cool trick?? that amulet was the biggest deus ex machina in the history of deus ex machina...s. it was poor writing. not a cool trick

aapac | April 26, 18:45 CET

Admittedly, I saw it after learning he actually survived, but I personally think it isn't that much of a stretch that he actually survived. He was impaled and everything, yes I saw the specter coming out the other side, but I'm willing to believe he survived if he was taken care of very well and in a timely manner (It's a film wound, so that's why I guess). But that might be because I'm willing to suspend disbelief that far? I believe Fury would take advantage of this and make it look like Coulson died to force the team to get it together because I think Fury is that kind of manipulative. Don't kill me please.

[ edited by TenTonParasol on 2013-04-27 04:51 ]

TenTonParasol | April 26, 18:57 CET

aapac, it was a comic book move, one of many throughout Buffy/Angel that convinced me the Buffyverse was and remains the greatest comic book series ever filmed. And yes, that does sometimes mean the writing involves macguffins, deux ex machinas and, dare I say it, some easy bullshit. But, you know, we got an extra season of Spike. Joss and the writer's table probably shrugged at the whole magic amulet thing and said "yeah, but it's totally worth it." And it was.

MrArg | April 26, 19:48 CET

@mrarg
yeah, but that's the point.
the amulet was poor form on behalf of the writers, not just in terms of spike's return but also in its use in season 7 of buffy. but joss tsked all that plot holiness away in the argument that it comes second to the message that was trying to be communicated to the audience about the finale.
you may think this possible reason for coulson's survival is lazy, but at least it matches the message. i'd take that over a cool trick anyday, especially when you're attempting the leverage the whole weight of a series' grounding on it.

aapac | April 26, 20:05 CET

Gouki nailed it. Coulson will be a LMD or I'll eat Jayne's hat.

chrisobrien | April 26, 21:01 CET

Actually it is does. Back when Buffy Season 6 was on the air, there was huge fan speculation about how "Buffy came back wrong" and how Spike could hit her wit the chip causing him pain. The resolution was distinctly underwhelming for those who got caught up in the debate.

I'm starting to see the same fan parallels with Coulson. Many fans think his resurrection should be the central part of the show. Marvel and Joss probably don't. So it's a quick explanation for how Phil came bak and then we move on to the real plot arcs.

Simon | April 26, 22:21 CET

I am not really familiar with Marvel Universe, apart from the movies and an occasional cartoon, but I somehow came to expect something more... Sci-fi-ey. But it's believable and much better than Coulson being some kind of a robot or whatever those are called, so yeah... But we still have to wait and see, maybe this site has been led on, who knows?

katysha | April 27, 03:28 CET

I caved and read it. Let's pretend Coulson did intentionally allow himself to get pierced with a spear on purpose and then faked his own death. That doesn't answer the question how he survived.

I lean towards there being more to this story. Like perhaps this is just the story that S.H.I.E.L.D. has made up to detract from the fact that there is more to Coulson than meets the eye (whether he is now a robot, clone, who knows).

libradude | April 27, 03:58 CET

The Coulson who got killed could have been an LMD...

Effulgent | April 27, 05:12 CET

Of course, Effulgent. That would be 'smart thing to do...wait for backup.' (And Fury said checking out was 'not an option.')
AND it would give Joss a chance to emulate his all-time favorite movie, (Star Wars Ep. I) "Send de droid...."

USERNAME | April 27, 06:07 CET

And I don't understand why Coulson would have to intend to get speared. I'm of the opinion that it simply happened, and then Fury took full advantage. Lucky for Fury, less so for Coulson. And as Simon said, I also don't see why it's of supreme importance how he survived. He got good enough medical attention fast enough. That's fine by me. If SHIELD can build some nice weapons, I'm sure they can patch that up. Hell, if LMD is even an option, they should be able to fix him.

I agree with katysha in that this is better than whatever science fiction-y spec is on the table. I somehow got the idea that this series is supposed to be about quote-unquote normal but highly skilled people who are fighting against superpowered people, aliens, etc. but they can do their jobs just as effectively as the superpowereds, etc. they fight alongside. If Coulson survived because of an LMD or what have you, I believe it changes that a bit too much. Good old fashioned luck seems more in keeping with how I perceive the intention of the series, in my opinion.

The bigger issue I'm concerned with it, as the article states, why is Coulson coming back when he's supposed to be dead? One of the Avenger would surely notice? And there's some consequences of that, not least of which is the Avengers' loss of faith and trust in Fury and SHIELD.

[ edited by TenTonParasol on 2013-04-27 15:22 ]

TenTonParasol | April 27, 06:18 CET

I think the 'survivor' being a LMD gives them the most toys. The 'everyman', the heart of the story, isn't human? When he discovers he is a LMD, how does he deal with it? Is his 'life' as valuable as a 'real person'? Does it matter if he doesn't act exactly like Coulson? As the MCU enters a more mystical phase III in 2016 or so, will he have a soul would be a golden question. And, he might then meet the 'real' soul of the dead Coulson. And, all of these struggles are questions that Joss loves to wrestle.

jgsugden | April 27, 06:21 CET

Huh. That never crossed my mind, and it's even better than the one who died is an LMD. It's also a nice reversal of what is expected. It also covers the 'why is he reinstated' question nicely, and there's a chance for inherent tension with the rest of the cast. ("Fantastic racism" trope, anyone?) Some might not trust or like him because he isn't human. If this Coulson is an LMD, is it possible they are too, but they don't know it? (Okay, the Cylon mention farther up got me thinking that.) There's definitely space for an ethics question. I'm definitely very fond of the idea now.

Either way's good for me, though I still (very slightly) prefer they were able to save him. They must have the skill to do that, I mean super soldiers in the forties? They could fix deadly blow to the chest. But yea, he'll definitely have to lose something. You can't come back from the dead and be peachy keen. He has to lose more than those cards. I suppose recovering from a major wound to the chest would limit him but other than that I don't know. The LMD survivor is a better theory in that respect because it's easier to raise the stakes.

[ edited by TenTonParasol on 2013-04-27 16:19 ]

TenTonParasol | April 27, 06:40 CET

I'm guessing they were able to save him somehow, because otherwise a good chunk of S.H.I.E.L.D. becomes about dealing with this. Being a robot is a kind of superpower and so far we've heard that S.H.I.E.L.D. is about ordinary people. (Not sure an LMD would qualify.) Also, Coulson wouldn't have to *stay* dead - Fury just needed to motivate the Avengers for the battle. Battle's over, everyone ate schawarma and went their separate ways, so if Coulson pops back up later on, well, it won't be the first time Fury has pissed off his people.

Shapenew | April 27, 09:41 CET

Nothing against that site, it may be or not true, but i hardly ever loose sleep over "insider´s revelations". ;)

Darkness | April 27, 11:57 CET

Well, at the very least, it opened up some good discussion.

TenTonParasol | April 27, 12:44 CET

The explanation for Coulson not being dead because he didn't die is compelling and satisfactory to my mind. ^^

cleveland | April 27, 12:49 CET

Hah. Can't argue with that. ;)

TenTonParasol | April 27, 12:58 CET

Exactly right, Cleveland.

IrrationaliTV | April 27, 13:29 CET

I've seen dogs and cats survive being impaled through the chest, and they had to make it to our hospital before getting real medical attention (no ubertech EMTs onsite). His survival doesn't strain my suspension of disbelief in the least. I believe we saw him arrest on-screen, and the EMTs immediately resuscitated him off-screen.

QingTing | April 28, 14:57 CET