 An agent with S.H.I.E.L.D. who oversees many of the division 's field operations . Gregg was cast as part of a multi @-@ picture deal with Marvel . Gregg said his role was expanded in The Avengers : " [ What ] Agent Coulson had become in terms of the import of this particular story , and how important his job is in bringing the Avengers together , it kind of felt a little surreal , like somebody was playing a prank and that wasn 't the real script . But it wasn 't , it was the real thing , I got to show up and do that stuff , and it felt like such an amazing payoff to what the journey had been and the fact I had been doing it for five years . " Gregg said Whedon provided insight into his character 's backstory , particularly about Coulson being a fan of Captain America . 
