Here's why Agents Of SHIELD didn't address the LGBTQ backstory of Lucy Lawless' character Isabelle Hartley. While many studios had cast doubt on the idea of a shared cinematic universe back in 2008, the runaway success of films like Iron Man and Thor and eventual crossover The Avengers confirmed that was very much something audiences wanted. Phase One of the MCU also featured Clark Gregg as SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson, who became a cult figure in his own right.

Agent Coulson's death in The Avengers caused some heartache, but fans didn't have to wait long for the character to return. Following the success of The Avengers, a spinoff series dubbed Agents Of SHIELD emerged with Coulson returning to life to front it. The truth behind his resurrection formed part of the mystery of season one, and while it was still tied to events from the movies, the series would forge its own identity before coming to an end in 2020 after seven seasons.

Related: The X-Files: Why Lucy Lawless' Character Never Returned

Anticipation was high for Agents Of SHIELD's second season, especially after the finale of the first series saw the organization disavowed after it was discovered it had been infiltrated by HYDRA. Fans were also excited about the addition of Lucy Lawless (Ash Vs Evil Dead) as Isabelle Hartley, who helps Coulson and his team rebuild following the events of season one. Isabelle has her basis in a character from the Dark Avengers comic, who was in a relationship with Victoria Hand, played by Saffron Burrows in season one.

agents of shield isabelle hartley

News of Burrows' casting as Victoria Hand in Agents Of SHIELD was considered exciting news as the character is openly gay in the comics. Despite this, Hand's sexuality was never addressed before she was shockingly killed off. In the Dark Avengers comic Hand is shown to be in a relationship with Isabelle before the latter breaks up with her when she complains about Nick Fury's management. It was assumedLucy Lawless' take on Izzy would become a major new cast member in the show - only for her to die by the end of season 2's opening episode "Shadows."

Lawless' sudden death was a real surprise, but again, LGBTQ followers of Agents Of SHIELD were disappointed her backstory or relationship with Hand wasn't addressed at all. Showrunners Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon later revealed in an EW interview that while they had discussed addressing Izzy's character's comic backstory, they felt it wouldn't be right to introduce a gay character only to kill them off immediately; it also seems they feared a backlash for doing so. A later flashback featuring Isabelle kinda, sorta hinted she had a past with Hand, but in the end, it's disappointing the series choose to just not address it at all. Season 3 later introduced the first openly gay character in the MCU with Joey Gutierrez (Juan Pablo Raba), while season 6 featured gay scientist Marcus Benson (Barry Shabaka Henley).

Next: What Agents of SHIELD’s Ending Means For The Rest Of The MCU