While it's still unclear if Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson will return for Season 6 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the actor will be returning to direct the season opener. While directing is great and all, it's not exactly where Marvel Cinematic Universe fans want to see Clark Gregg. However, according to previous interviews with the actor/director, the door may still be open for a possible return of Phil Coulson, though he doesn't see it happening. Coulson fans will get a chance to see the character's return to the big screen in next year's Captain Marvel.

Marvel announced that Clark Gregg is returning to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but as a director this time around. Gregg has starred as Agent Phil Coulson since the show's debut in 2013 and he'll return to helm the first episode of Season 6, which is called "Missing Pieces." The episode was written by series co-creators Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. This isn't the first time that Gregg has stepped behind the camera for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He directed the Season 5 episode "Fun and Games" and has two feature-length films under his belt.

Marvel fans will be happy to know that Clark Gregg is still working for the studio, but will Agent Phil Coulson make a return to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future? At the conclusion of Season 5, it looks highly unlikely that Coulson will be returning. It's beginning to look that his absence from the show will remain permanent at this time. But, this is Marvel that we're talking about here, so just about anything is possible. But, Gregg has stated that he doesn't see his character's story going any further in the series.

As previously noted, Clark Gregg will be taking Agent Phil Coulson back to the big screen for next year's Captain Marvel. The movie takes place in the early 1990s, so we'll be seeing a younger version of the character that required Gregg to wear motion capture dots on his face so that he could be digitally de-aged in the post-production process. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will also appear in the film as a young man, with two eyes this time around. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are deeply excited to see both characters as young men in a Marvel era that has yet to be represented on the big screen.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was picked up for a sixth season recently and it was announced that the new season will be another 13 episodes. The show is expected to run throughout mid-2019, but details are scarce at this time. It's comforting to know that Clark Gregg will be returning to the show in any capacity at all, though it's not exactly what fans had hoped for. You can read the announcement of Gregg's return to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. below, thanks to the Marvel Instagram account.