The main characters in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. against a grey background with the logo
By
Tim Adams
Published 23 minutes ago
Tim Adams is a Comics Reporter at Screen Rant. After writing and talking about pop culture on his personal blog and podcast, Tim joined CBR as a Contributing Writer in 2016. Tim quickly demonstrated himself to be a valuable member of the team, resulting in a promotion to Associate Editor and then Lead News Editor in 2018. Part of his duties included managing and working with freelance writers on news coverage, while also growing the news side of the comics vertical.
Tim was recruited to ComicBook.com in 2021 as a Staff Writer, where he continued covering the latest in pop culture through news, features, and lists. He is most proud of collaborating with comic book publishers on exclusive interviews, previews, and announcements.
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The return of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the Marvel Universe comes at the cost of another group of deserving heroes. The global peacekeeping task force known as S.H.I.E.L.D. officially returns in Captain America #6, with Nick Fury Jr. back at the helm. While this is obviously a big deal, it means that fans won't get to meet the United Captains, an international team of new heroes who were supposed to be led by Captain America.
Marvel's decision to sideline the United Captains in favor of S.H.I.E.L.D. may seem harmless on the surface, but it doesn't mean that it's the right decision. The reason for the change has to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. factoring into Marvel's big 2026 event, Armageddon. However, the fallout from these changes completely erases a United Nations-sanctioned team of super-soldiers. If we look at the bigger picture, this has "bad move" written all over it.
The United Captains Deserve Better Than Being Replaced By SHIELD
Captain France, Captain Kingdom, The Star, And Red Widow Make Up The United Captains
S.H.I.E.L.D. returning in Captain America #6 totally kicks the United Captains to the curb. It's already rare to see new characters introduced in the Marvel Universe, and now the United Captains are being erased without even getting an official debut. Yes, fans got to see amazing character designs for the United Captains by artist Valerio Schiti, but that only makes their erasure worse. Marvel basically dangled the carrot in front of its fanbase and then quickly snatched it back.
This new team has a lot of potential, and the majority of that potential is represented in Valerio Schiti's designs. Each of the four Captains has a colorful, unique costume that perfectly represents their home country. We have the gray-haired Captain France, the slick-haired Captain Kingdom with his Union Jack-branded shield, The Star representing China, and the mysterious Red Widow of Russia.
Just think about all of these unexplored backgrounds and origins that will now go by the wayside. Also, there's no guarantee that the United Captains will ever show up in the future. The only bit of information we know about the United Captains comes from writer Chip Zdarsky, who teased his original plans for the team when the United Captains were originally announced back in August.
I love the idea of “official” super heroes, ones who work within the system. It felt like there would be some sort of United Nations representatives from the Security Council member countries to deal with situations like Latveria. So, the United Captains came from that idea, a team that isn’t a team, that may have their own agendas.
Captain America having to deal with these four wildcards in the aftermath of One World Under Doom had all the makings of a spicy espionage thriller. Who can Cap trust? Where do their allegiances lie? What secret agendas are being orchestrated from the shadows? These are all pertinent questions that could have lingered in Captain America, setting up some exciting storylines and events for the Sentinel of Liberty.
But instead, we're back to treading old ground with S.H.I.E.L.D.
SHIELD Can Shine Without Overshadowing The United Captains
Nick Fury Jr. Is Back Leading The All-New SHIELD
Nick Fury returns with SHIELD in Captain America #6
The resurrection of S.H.I.E.L.D. comes just ahead of its 60th anniversary, so Marvel has plenty of incentive to bring it back. Marvel confirmed that a S.H.I.E.L.D. revival has been in the works for years, and if that's the case, then it didn't have to come at the expense of the United Captains. There had to be a way to properly plan for something as big as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s return that wouldn't derail what was supposed to happen in Captain America.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s popularity comes from its long history in the Marvel Universe, along with its inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. Fans have been demanding that Marvel Television bring back S.H.I.E.L.D. in a similar manner to Netflix's Marvel characters like Daredevil, Wilson Fisk, and Jessica Jones. Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. returning in the comics is a precursor to its eventual return in the MCU. That's the only way that removing the United Captains makes any kind of sense.
It is worth noting that one of the United Captains, Red Widow, will survive the scrapping of the United Captains story and is now a member of Nick Fury Jr.'s S.H.I.E.LD. Why this decision was made remains unknown, but Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski did reveal what went into the decision to change Cap's story.
"After digging more into this Captain America story with Chip, [series artist] Valerio [Schiti], and our teams, it became clear that this was the right story and right time to do so. And with this year being the 60th anniversary since S.H.I.E.L.D.’s debut, we thought it was even more fitting to make this happen."
60 years of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an important milestone that deserves the recognition that it's getting. No one is disputing that. The larger issue is that fans are regaining S.H.I.E.L.D. while also losing the United Captains. Both groups can coexist in the same space while having different agendas and mission statements. The mission statement for S.H.I.E.L.D. is being kept under wraps until next year's Armageddon event. If only the United Captains had the same bright outlook as S.H.I.E.L.D. currently has.
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