How Agents of SHIELD Set Up Avengers: Age of Ultron's Opening Mission

The second season of Agents of SHIELD set up Avengers: Age of Ultron's opening mission in a significant way. Following multiple tie-ins to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first season of Agents of SHIELD, season 2 mostly continued to deal with the fallout of Captain America: The Winter Soldier as multiple SHIELD factions and a reborn Hydra were central to the story. This allowed Agents of SHIELD to largely fill in the gap of a sizeable moment in the MCU while Marvel Studios geared up for the release of the second Avengers movie.

When Avengers: Age of Ultron hit theaters on May 1, 2015, the movie opened with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, and Hawkeye working together once again. This action-packed opening mission saw the Avengers storm the known location of Baron von Strucker with the hope that they would finally get Loki's scepter out of Hydra's hands. They are successful in doing so, with the discovery of the power within the scepter helping create Ultron. It is safe to say that without going on this mission, the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron would be very different — and it might surprise some to know that the Avengers were only there because of Agents of SHIELD.

The set up for Avengers: Age of Ultron's opening mission comes at the end of the nineteenth episode of season 2, "The Dirty Half Dozen," of Agents of SHIELD. During the final minutes of the episode, Phil Coulson is shown talking to Maria Hill. They begin to discuss the plans of Baron von Strucker and Coulson reveals that he has learned new information about what the Hydra member is up to. Coulson tells Hill that Strucker is in possession of Loki's scepter and is hiding in Sokovia. With this information, Hill is then able to alert the Avengers off-screen and send them on the mission that kicks off Avengers: Age of Ultron.

This connection between Agents of SHIELD and Avengers: Age of Ultron is significant, but how exactly did Coulson learn this vital information? Throughout the second season of Agents of SHIELD, Henry Goodman appears as Doctor List prior to his return in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His role in the series is tied to the remains of Hydra, but there are also direct references made to the experiments he and Baron von Strucker were working on in Captain America: The Winter Soldier's mid-credits scene. List is featured searching for more powered individuals and Coulson eventually learns that he and Strucker have set up shop in Sokovia. As for how Coulson knows Loki's scepter is with them, it is tied to the fact that he has a special interest in finding the weapon that killed him in The Avengers.

Although those who haven't seen Agents of SHIELD are still able to follow the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron without this detail, it is a great example of the connectivity that the Marvel series used to have with the MCU movies. Just with this example, those who watch Agents of SHIELD get to learn more about Strucker's search for enhanced individuals and understand exactly how the Avengers found Strucker's base of operations. Additionally, Agents of SHIELD attributes Coulson as the one who provides Nick Fury with the helicarrier that saves the day at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. With all of these elements considered, Agents of SHIELD winds up being quite important to multiple aspects of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

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