Fan-Favorite Marvel Actor Says He Won’t Return
It's looking like a fan-favorite Marvel actor won't be returning to his original role. This one will have some folks disappointed.
Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has evolved from the big screen to the small screen, television is the new medium. Except, it isn’t so new. Once Disney+ became the home for streaming T.V. shows to expand the MCU’s storytelling, questions began to arise about the inclusion of past series that previously aired. One of the more successful spin-off shows took the formerly deceased Phil Coulson and gave him a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and introduced the Inhumans. Even though Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. closed out a short two years ago, cast members routinely discuss the possibility of a return. Iain de Caestecker, Agent Fitz, recently addressed the possibility of returning to his Marvel character.
In an interview with Digital Spy to promote his new project, Control Room, Iain de Caestecker spoke about whether Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be brought into the movies and if he would reprise his role. He gave an answer that echoed fellow Marvel star Chris Evans. The Fitz actor believes that the happy ending for his character and his long-time love, Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), was the perfect ending. He admitted that he felt it would be sad to mess with that ending and that it wouldn’t be fair. Like Evans, it seems the actor cherishes the end of his character’s story and would be very hesitant to risk spoiling it.
Marvel definitely put Iain de Caestecker’s character through the wringer over the show’s seven seasons. While he began the series as a sort of Q-like character, focusing primarily on gadgets and tech for the team to use, he eventually became an integral ingredient in their success. He went through multiple traumas, both physically and mentally, throughout the series. His mental health became a primary focus in Fitz’s growth until his (in true Marvel fashion) temporary death. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. began as more of a street-level aspect of the Marvel Universe, only to eventually traverse time and space just like their big screen counterparts.
Iain de Caestecker hasn’t slowed down since hanging up his Marvel uniform. He is now headlining a new dramatic series for the BBC called The Control Room. The story follows Gabe, a man working for the emergency line in Scotland. He gets a call one night from a woman who seems to know him, and his life spirals out of control as he uncovers who the mystery woman is and what has been left in his past. He also appeared in another BBC production, Roadkill, with Hugh Laurie.
Even though Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of Marvel’s most successful projects, according to ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, it makes sense that Iain de Caestecker is hesitant to return. Aside from putting the satisfying ending for Fitz and Jemma at risk, he has many more things he wants to do in his career. With the status of the TV series still in limbo about when and where they fit in, he is almost certainly better off evolving beyond his Marvel character and finding roles elsewhere. With that said, Marvel and Disney do have a way of pulling actors back in for more.
