Coulson's Long Lost Love Has Been Cast!

It was in the Avengers that we first heard of the romance between fan-favorite Marvel character Phil Coulson and a woman known only as the cellist. How beloved is Phil Coulson? He went from being an underdeveloped suit written for Iron Man to migrating into the comics and headlining his own television show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D . His relationship with the unnamed cellist came to an abrupt end when Coulson, you know, died. He might have been resurrected for the show, but the fact that reports of his death were slightly exaggerated is classified information — and meant he had to kiss his relationship goodbye. However, TV Guide reports that The Cellist will be reappearing in Coulson's life as more than just a memory. In fact, Amy Acker has been cast in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to play her in at least one upcoming episode.

Here are the facts: In the Avengers, we discover that Coulson began dating The Cellist at some point after his time in New Mexico in Thor. She lives in Portland, Oregon and Pepper Potts thoroughly approves of their relationship. By Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., their relationship has ended, but Coulson wistfully calls it "particularly rewarding" and reoccurring baddie Raina twists the knife by informing him that she cried for days after his death in the Avengers. It's clear that Coulson isn't over her and if the fact that she'll soon be featured on the show is any indication then it's clear that she's not over him yet either.

Her reappearace couldn't come at a worse time. When we last left Coulson, he and fellow team member slash psuedo-daughter Skye were determined to uncover all the secrets that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been keeping from them — like the fact that both of them are only still alive thanks to a miracle drug that was derived from the decaying corpse of an alien. They're hunting and being hunted by a shadowy organization called Centipede that has kidnapped and reprogrammed an old friend of theirs and one of their team members has been revealed to be some kind of spy. In light of all that, could this blast from the past be anything but traumatizing for Coulson?

I doubt it. No details have been revealed about Acker's exact role in the plot of the episode, but, with the way Coulson's life is prone to go, it's likely that his cellist is either in some sort of mortal peril, is working for Centipede, or has moved on to someone new — if not all three at the same time. Emotionally, this is nothing but bad news for Coulson, but for the fans it will be a great look into one of the most intriguing mysteries surrounding the beloved character. And who's to say that the unnamed cellist will remain a one shot character? Depending on how they choose to tie her into the mythology of the show, she could become a reoccurring threat to the team or yet another S.H.I.E.L.D. mystery for him to get to the bottom of. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing more badass women on the show.