5 Clues Marvel's Next Live-Action Series Is An Agents Of SHIELD Sequel

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Nov 12, 2026, 2:30 PM EST Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s sixth phase is almost complete, and The Multiverse Saga will be finished in the blink of an eye. With that in mind, fans have had their sights on what comes next. Most of the post-Secret Wars announcements have focused on movies. So far, we know we’ll finally get Ghost Rider, the MCU’s new X-Men, and Black Panther 3. Now, a “Marvel TV insider” has shared that the first TV show fans can expect in 2028 is an espionage thriller called Zodiac. The live-action Marvel TV show Zodiac has a multi-season plan with a cheaper budget, ensuring longevity. This continues the franchise’s push for multi-season yearly releases, such as Daredevil: Born Again and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The upcoming show will be a good jumping-on point for MCU newcomers. The announcement said familiar Marvel characters and actors could appear, though the insider didn’t specify who. However, Marvel has remained tight-lipped and hasn't commented on the insider’s report. That said, if the report is true, there’s good reason to believe Zodiac could be a sequel to the quasi-MCU TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which still lacks an explicit confirmation of canonization or de-canonization. Based on everything we know so far, plus a few peculiarities from the past few years, five major hints stand out that could confirm a story connected to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The most obvious hint that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. connects to Zodiac is the organization’s eagle symbol in the title. When Brad Winderbaum announced Zodiac at the Marvel TV panel at NYCC 2026, he remained tight-lipped about the story. However, he said, “For anyone who knows the comics, if you look closely at this title design, you’ll see a few clues about where we’re going.” The two noticeable parts of the logo are the “o,” which seems to be the Great Wheel from Secret Warriors, and the “a,” which is the S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol. To make matters more suspicious, actor Clark Gregg, who played Agent Coulson in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., shared the show's logo on his Instagram story. Gregg isn’t exactly known for sharing MCU news. As such, it seems suspicious that he would choose to share the Zodiac title. Gregg has to be involved in some way. If Gregg is involved in Zodiac, it would make the most sense that it has connections to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That’s what fans already know him for. It doesn’t make sense for them to bring him in on a completely unrelated series. 4 The Great Wheel Connects To S.H.I.E.L.D. In The Comics The Great Wheel symbol in the Zodiac title further suggests that the upcoming series connects to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., though it could suggest a prequel instead of a sequel. A time-traveling Leonardo da Vinci, who was a member of the Brotherhood of the S.H.I.E.L.D., assembled the Great Wheel in 1961. He brought together 12 of the best spies and assigned each one a zodiac sign. Earth-1610 · Multiverse Edition How Well Do You KnowMarvel’s Ultimate Universe? 🌏OriginsEarth-1610 ⚡HeroesUltimates 💥EventsUltimatum ☠VillainsThe Maker 💫LegacyReborn ENTER THE ULTIMATES! → 01 The Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) was launched in 2000 with a reimagined version of Marvel’s most popular teenage superhero. Which comic series kicked off the Ultimate line? AThe Ultimates BUltimate X-Men CUltimate Spider-Man DUltimate Fantastic Four ✓ Correct! Ultimate Spider-Man #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley, launched in October 2000 and retold Peter Parker’s origin for a modern audience. It became the flagship title of the Ultimate line and ran for 160 issues. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Ultimate Spider-Man. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, it was the first Ultimate title, debuting in 2000. The Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men followed in 2001, while Ultimate Fantastic Four didn’t launch until 2004. NEXT → 02 In the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man eventually died heroically. A new character then took up the Spider-Man mantle and later crossed over into the main Marvel universe. Who is this character? ABen Reilly BMiguel O’Hara CMiles Morales DGwen Stacy ✓ Correct! Miles Morales debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011) after Peter Parker’s death in the “Death of Spider-Man” storyline. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles became one of Marvel’s most beloved characters and later migrated to Earth-616 after Secret Wars (2015). ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Miles Morales. Ben Reilly is the Scarlet Spider clone from Earth-616, Miguel O’Hara is Spider-Man 2099, and while Gwen Stacy existed in the Ultimate Universe, she didn’t become Spider-Woman there — that’s Earth-65’s Spider-Gwen. NEXT → 03 The Ultimates was the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Avengers. This series reimagined the team as a government-sponsored superhero squad. Who wrote the influential first two volumes of The Ultimates? ABrian Michael Bendis BMark Millar CJeph Loeb DJonathan Hickman ✓ Correct! Mark Millar, alongside artist Bryan Hitch, created The Ultimates (2002) and The Ultimates 2 (2004). Their cinematic, widescreen approach to superhero storytelling heavily influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly the first Avengers film. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Mark Millar. Bendis wrote Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men, Jeph Loeb took over the Ultimates later with volume 3, and Jonathan Hickman wrote the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch. Millar and Bryan Hitch defined The Ultimates. NEXT → 04 In the Ultimate Universe, many characters were dramatically different from their main universe counterparts. Ultimate Reed Richards underwent a shocking transformation, becoming a major villain. What villain name did Ultimate Reed Richards adopt? AThe Thinker BThe Maker CDoctor Doom DMolecule Man ✓ Correct! The Maker is one of the most terrifying villains to come out of the Ultimate Universe. After being rejected by Sue Storm and experiencing a mental breakdown, Ultimate Reed Richards turned evil, stretching his brain to enhance his already genius-level intellect and becoming a multiversal threat. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker. The Thinker is a different FF villain, Doctor Doom is a separate character entirely (though Ultimate Doom was Victor Van Damme), and Molecule Man is an Earth-616 entity. The Maker survived Secret Wars and became a major threat across the multiverse. NEXT → 05 The Ultimate Universe suffered a catastrophic event that killed off many major characters and dramatically changed the line’s direction. What was this controversial crossover event called? AUltimatum BCataclysm CSecret Wars DUltimate Fallout ✓ Correct! Ultimatum (2008–2009), written by Jeph Loeb, saw Magneto use Thor’s hammer to reverse Earth’s magnetic poles, causing massive global devastation. Characters like Wolverine, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many others were killed, making it one of the most controversial Marvel events ever. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is, ironically, Ultimatum itself. Cataclysm was a later event involving Galactus attacking the Ultimate Universe, Secret Wars (2015) ended the Ultimate Universe entirely, and Ultimate Fallout dealt with the aftermath of Peter Parker’s death. NEXT → 06 Ultimate Nick Fury was redesigned to look very different from his main universe counterpart. His new appearance was so popular that it influenced a major casting decision in the MCU. Who was Ultimate Nick Fury visually modeled after? ADenzel Washington BWesley Snipes CSamuel L. Jackson DLaurence Fishburne ✓ Correct! Artist Bryan Hitch, with Mark Millar’s approval, deliberately modeled Ultimate Nick Fury after Samuel L. Jackson in The Ultimates. Jackson himself gave permission for his likeness to be used, and was later cast as Nick Fury in the MCU — one of the most perfect comics-to-film casting decisions ever. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Samuel L. Jackson. Bryan Hitch specifically used Jackson’s likeness when redesigning Nick Fury for The Ultimates. Jackson actually gave his blessing, reportedly in exchange for first refusal on any film role — which led to his iconic MCU casting. NEXT → 07 The Ultimate Universe was eventually destroyed during Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars (2015) event, with some characters migrating to the main Marvel universe (Earth-616). Which of these characters did NOT originate in the Ultimate Universe? AMiles Morales BThe Maker (Reed Richards) CKamala Khan DJimmy Hudson ✓ Correct! Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) was created for the main Earth-616 universe, debuting in Captain Marvel #14 (2013) and getting her own series in 2014. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Wolverine’s son) all originated in the Ultimate Universe before crossing over. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Kamala Khan. She was created by G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat for the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), not the Ultimate Universe. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Ultimate Wolverine’s son) all came from Earth-1610. NEXT → 08 In 2024, Marvel relaunched the Ultimate Universe with a new line of comics set on a reimagined Earth-6160. This new Ultimate Universe features a world where who has secretly controlled everything from behind the scenes? AThanos BThe Maker (Reed Richards) CDoctor Doom DMagneto ✓ Correct! In Jonathan Hickman’s 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch, The Maker (Ultimate Reed Richards) has secretly reshaped Earth-6160 from behind the scenes, preventing many heroes from ever gaining their powers and manipulating global events. The new Ultimate line follows heroes discovering and resisting his hidden influence. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker (Reed Richards). In the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch by Jonathan Hickman, The Maker has been secretly pulling strings on Earth-6160, suppressing the emergence of superheroes and reshaping the world to his design. He is the central antagonist of the new Ultimate line. REVEAL MY SCORE → Briefing Complete Your Ultimate Clearance / 8 Are you an Ultimate expert — or still reading Earth-616? ↻ TRY AGAIN Aside from da Vinci’s association with S.H.I.E.L.D., members also participated in the council, including Nick Fury. Interestingly, Hydra members also joined the Great Wheel. Eventually, the organization broke apart. The historical leader also introduced S.H.I.E.L.D.’s greatest technology, Life-Model Decoy, which is mentioned in The Avengers and shown in the ABC TV show. If The MCU is actually bringing The Great Wheel to the screen, they will either need to modernize it as a sequel to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or make Zodiac a prequel. Modernizing the organization makes more sense for two reasons. Firstly, they already de-aged Samuel L. Jackson, which created an uncanny valley effect. Secondly, Agent Coulson wouldn’t be alive in 1961, so they would be wasting their best asset. 3 THE MCU Sneakily Added Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Nick Fury’s Official Bio Three Years Ago Marvel has biographies for all its MCU characters on its website. They’ve kept them updated as new movies have been released, adding more information. Three years ago, right before Secret Invasion, Marvel quietly added events from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 to Nick Fury’s biography. They described him working with Agent Coulson to take down the Hydra turncoat John Garrett. The fact that Marvel’s bio now features these events but not other non-MCU on-screen appearances suggests that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is officially MCU. This is the basic requirement for Zodiac to be a sequel. They can’t make a Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel to a non-MCU TV show. Their change three years ago is even more evidence that Zodiac could be connected to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel has been planning MCU TV shows and movies for years, even if we, the public, haven’t always known what characters and stories come next. Even though they’ve made changes to The Avengers Phase 6, I’m inclined to believe they would’ve known, at least since the release of Secret Invasion, if an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.–related show is on the way. If it had been changed more recently, I’d have expected a S.H.I.E.L.D. project in Phase Seven instead. 2 The MCU Never Formally Decanonized Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Image via MovieStillsDB Marvel has never been shy about decanonizing stories previously connected to the Sacred Timeline. They removed many, many tie-in comics as well as the Thanos origin story book. On the TV side, they publicly removed Runaways, Helstrom, and Cloak & Dagger from canon. However, two shows have been in limbo: Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Technically, in The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is called its own separate thing. However, folks in charge have gone to great lengths to leave things ambiguous. Clark Gregg has maintained his position that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still MCU canon (via CBR). Kevin Feige suggests that the show exists as part of the wider Marvel universe but isn’t part of the Sacred Timeline. Meanwhile, Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum told ScreenRant that he’s excited to figure out how to align the ABC shows Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter with the MCU canon. The fact that neither has never been officially decanonized suggests Winderbaum might have bigger plans for it. Zodiac could be a prequel or sequel that officially ties Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the MCU. 1 Brad Winderbaum Rewatched All Of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Relatively Recently Image credit: Bob D'Amico/©ABC/courtesy Everett Collection In an Agatha All Along interview with ScreenRant, he said he thinks the old ABC show fits remarkably well in The Multiverse Saga. What we didn’t know at the time is that Brad Winderbaum started the massive undertaking of watching all seven seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He revealed on the Phase Hero podcast (via GamesRadar+). This is a massive hint that something bigger is in the works with that TV show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has 136 episodes, averaging 45 minutes. To tackle that show, he needs strong motivation. Even if someone watched two episodes every day without a break, it would take about 10 weeks to finish. Perhaps this is his favorite show. I know that I can easily binge through my favorites in a short period. He could be watching it purely for enjoyment. However, it seems more likely that he is preparing for a project that would require fresh, encyclopedic knowledge of the TV show. Ultimately, Zodiac could be that project. He may have been beefing up on his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. knowledge so that he could meaningfully contribute to the planning and execution. Release Date 2013 - 2020-00-00 Network ABC Showrunner Jed Whedon Cast Daisy 'Skye' Johnson / Quake Directors Kevin Tancharoen, Jesse Bochco, Billy Gierhart, Vincent Misiano, Bobby Roth, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Brad Turner, David Solomon, Eric Laneuville, Kate Woods, Kevin Hooks, Milan Cheylov, Ron Underwood, Roxann Dawson, Wendey Stanzler, Clark Gregg, David Straiton, Holly Dale, John Terlesky, Joss Whedon, Stanley M. Brooks, Keith Potter, Dwight H. Little, Elodie Keene Writers Monica Owusu-Breen, Sharla Oliver, Lauren LeFranc, James C. Oliver, Rafe Judkins, Matt Owens, Mark Leitner, Iden Baghdadchi, Shalisha Francis, Chris Dingess Franchise(s) Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe