Did Disney Eliminate Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D From the MCU Canon?
2021 has given Marvel and Disney fans an unforgettable year of new series that explores some of the most beloved characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe while delving deeper into the ever-growing MCU canon.
From the Wildly entertaining and mysterious events of Wandavision to the powerful and relevant adventures of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, this year has been the star of a new kind of MCU.
Where once fans could only experience these characters within the confines of the theatre, now entire stories can be told in a near ten-hour episodic series.
The question, however, that many have pondered since is what happens to the Marvel stories that were already being told in a similar format?
Disney has seemingly issued a quiet answer to this question
After a new update, it appears that Marvel’s pre-Disney+ titles have been eliminated from the main MCU canon.


Photo: Shuttershock
Disney+ has apparently taken these shows and placed them in the category of “Marvel Legacy Movies and Series.”
What this category represents is all titles based around different MCU properties, that take place outside of the events within the MCU.


Source: DigitalSpy.com
These shows include the beloved Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Carter, Runaways, and Inhumans.
What makes this change a little uncertain is that the alteration has only gone into effect in certain regions.


Photo: ABC
Although Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is still unavailable to Amerian Disney+ subscribers, and American users note the series is still categorized under the same banner as Wandavision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Regions with access to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D series have noted the redistribution of titles, and the de-canonizing of the series; and series of the like.
This was always a question Marvel would inevitably face when delving into the long-form storytelling world, and it seems these changes verify their answer.
There was already speculation with Wandavision’s use of the Book of the Damned seeming to show a difference in continuity. Both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Runaways have used a different iteration of the same artifact, bringing te MCU Canon into question.


Source: Thedirect.com
Many of these series began as a way to explore side characters that appeared in varying MCU films, yet grew to explore many different Marvel characters who simply couldn’t find room in a two to three-hour film.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D lasted seven seasons and explored the secret agency outside of their involvement with the Avengers initiative.
It began, however, as a way for Marvel to continue exploring the agency and the character of Phil Coulson; a fan favorite from the first Avengers film.


Source: wegotthiscovered.com
Agent Carter explored the adventures of Peggy Carter. This was Marvel’s opportunity to continue developing a character who was a vital piece to the first Captain America Film, a founding member of the S.H.I.E.L.D agency, and a vital piece to the character of Steve Rogers himself.
This idea evolved into exploring characters with no ties to the main MCU avengers. Seen in a series like the Runaways, a show that follows younger mutants with evil parents.
the question is whether or not the characters established during these shows will one day find a place in the MCU canon, and what will happen with all of the pre-Disney+ series?