What will Marvel's Zodiac be about? 5 theories about the spy thriller
Marvel's Zodiac has sent the internet into a frenzy of speculation, with fans racing to decode the hints in its cryptic logo.
At the time of writing, all we know for certain is that the upcoming Disney+ series is a spy thriller, but one popular theory is that intelligence agency SHIELD could be returning.
That idea has led to buzz that characters from Agents of SHIELD – the MCU's first and longest-running live-action series – could finally be in-line for a return.
The show's former star Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson) threw fuel on that particular fire by liking and sharing an announcement post for Marvel's Zodiac on Instagram.
Of course, no one truly knows what the series will look like at this stage, but far be it from us to miss a chance for outrageous guesswork.
So, without further ado, here are five theories about what Marvel's Zodiac could be about – and which new and returning characters could feature.
1. Marvel's Zodiac could rebuild SHIELD
With very little actual information to go on, fan theories have predominantly centred on apparent connections to SHIELD in the Zodiac logo.
Most noticeably, the eagle depicted in the SHIELD emblem seems to have found its way into the 'A' in Zodiac, but avid comic book readers have also spotted a deeper cut.
The segments carved out of the 'O' resemble a symbol from Jonathan Hickman's SHIELD comic book, first published in 2010, which detailed the surprising history of the organisation.
The O-shaped diagram represented 'The Great Wheel', a group comprised of 11 of the world's most elite spymasters; each one known by a sign of the Zodiac.
Hickman's work has been highly influential on the MCU to date, but SHIELD stands out as one of his more oddball efforts, imagining a history for the agency involving figures like Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Of course, the MCU has a habit of plucking ideas from comic book storylines and taking them in a distinct direction, so we wouldn't expect a beat-for-beat adaptation of that high-concept story.
However, as the franchise attempts to restore its former glory, it's plausible that there could be interest in rebuilding SHIELD, which was a crucial cog in Phases One and Two.
Elements of Hickman's faux history could be interwoven in a story that brings together some of the MCU's finest spymasters, perhaps to form the founding committee of a brand new SHIELD.
2. Agents of SHIELD characters could return
If we're talking about bringing back SHIELD, we can hardly ignore Marvel's cult favourite TV series on that very subject.
Sadly, Agents of SHIELD didn't retain the enormous audience of its series premiere, but those who stuck with it saw it blossom into a hugely rewarding sci-fi drama.
Since winding down in 2020, many have remained hopeful that certain characters could return, most notably Daisy Johnson aka Quake (Chloe Bennet) and Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).
In addition to the cryptic logos, Agents of SHIELD fans were sent into a frenzy when Gregg himself liked and shared Zodiac's announcement on his Instagram account.
Alas, it remains to be seen whether that means anything at all.
Just last month, Bennet lamented that Agents of SHIELD has been largely ignored by the wider MCU since their final crossover in 2015 (tied to Avengers: Age of Ultron).
She clarified, though, that she would jump at the chance to play Daisy again, whose last appearance implied she could land a position at SHIELD's cosmic-focused sibling agency SWORD (later seen in WandaVision).
If Zodiac is about recruiting MCU spymasters, Daisy and Coulson would certainly deserve a seat at that table, as would their former director.
3. Nick Fury could pass the baton
Samuel L Jackson would be forgiven for not wanting to set foot on Disney+ again after the colossal misfire that was Secret Invasion – often regarded as one of the worst MCU projects of all time.
However, in a story about Marvel spycraft, and potentially a resurgent SHIELD, how could Nick Fury not appear?
Jackson, now 77, has seemed open to playing the role of Nick Fury in perpetuity, but Marvel's Zodiac could give him a good opportunity to anoint his successor (in the absence of Maria Hill, who was another victim of Secret Invasion).
Hickman's Secret Warriors comic, which featured Fury as its main protagonist, also plucked the character of Jake Fury from relative obscurity.
Jake is Nick's brother, who had previously been connected to a supervillain team (also named Zodiac by a bizarre coincidence).
If Jackson didn't want to commit to a full series, or another 20 years of Marvel storytelling, Zodiac could reimagine Jake as an estranged younger brother ready to follow in his footsteps.
Alternatively, the MCU could amalgamate the characters of Jake Fury and Nick Fury Jr, the super-spy's secret son, if they wanted to cast someone considerably younger than Jackson in the role.
4. Marvel's Zodiac could redeem Secret Invasion
No Marvel fan wants to be reminded that Secret Invasion exists, but one element of the botched series that is too good to waste is Sonya Falsworth.
Academy Award winner and all-round national treasure Olivia Colman played the character, who was a senior MI6 agent and longtime ally to Fury.
Of course, it's hard to believe that booked-and-busy Colman would want to commit to a Marvel streaming show on a full-time basis.
However, the prospect of Jackson and Colman reprising their roles as guest stars, across just a couple of episodes in the season, is much more realistic.
Finding an exciting use for Sonya Falsworth in the MCU going forward would give Secret Invasion at least one redeeming feature, as the series that brought her into the fold.
Marvel's Zodiac could also hoover up and redeploy other characters from abandoned espionage subplots, such as Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), Rick Mason (O-T Fagbenle) and Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki).
These familiar faces could help populate the 11 spots on the Great Wheel (find our full list of suggestions below), but undoubtedly it would need some fresh blood too.
5. Abigail Brand could finally debut in the MCU
One of the MCU's biggest missed opportunities is the continued absence of SWORD director Abigail Brand.
Immediately recognisable by her bright green hair and matching shades, Agent Brand is a highly capable operative, who has frequently been on the frontlines of extraterrestrial attacks on Earth.
Her technical classification as a mutant may have delayed her entry to the MCU, which lacked the rights to X-Men characters until Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019.
But now that the X-Men themselves are on the way, the time has never been better to introduce Agent Brand, who could easily emerge as a leader of the Great Wheel line-up.
Who could star in Marvel's Zodiac?
If Marvel's Zodiac is indeed establishing the MCU's Great Wheel (as explained above), here's our dream (and completely unsubstantiated) line-up of who could take the 11 seats:
- Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson)
- Jake Fury or Nick Fury Jr (new)
- Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman)
- Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)
- Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet)
- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
- Rick Mason (O-T Fagbenle)
- Abigail Brand (new)
- Okoye (Danai Gurira)
- Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp)
- Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki)
Marvel's Zodiac is coming to Disney+ in 2028. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.
Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Add Marvel shows to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.