MCU: Every Character That Has Been Director of SHIELD

Originally created as a successor to SSR, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, better known as S.H.I.E.L.D., has had a major part to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the agency being behind or involved in each of the franchise’s major events. Every organization needs a great leader, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has had several. Some may have been more prominent than others, but they all have had an important role in the success of the agency.

Since there have been many that have taken on the job, some that some may have even forgotten about, here is every character that has been Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU.

8 Peggy Carter

While Agent Carter is best known for her romantic relationship with Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, she also has a much more important role in the MCU.

In addition to being one of the founders of the SSR, along with Chester Phillips and Howard Stark, she also became S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first official Director in the 1950s. During her run as Director, she worked alongside Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, who would carry out missions for the organization on occasion.

7 Nick Fury

Easily the most popular director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Fury made his first appearance at the end of Iron Man, confirming the existence of other heroes and teasing the wider world of the MCU.

He is best known for being the creator of the Avengers Initiative after being inspired by Captain Marvel in the 90s. He has continued to be a behind the scenes force in the films, even after retiring for the role in Winter Soldier, with his most recent appearance being in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

6 R. Keller

Not much is known about Director Keller aside from the fact that Fury served under him in the 90s during the attempted Kree attack on Earth and that his identity was taken by the Skrull, Talos, in an effort to blend in when he first arrived on the planet.

Keller’s first and only appearance was in 2019’s Captain Marvel where he was portrayed by actor Ben Mendelsohn.

5 Phillip Coulson

First introduced as a side character in the first Iron Man movie, Agent Coulson quickly became a fan favorite after his numerous minor but popular appearances in the MCU.

It seemed like Coulson was truly gone for good after being killed by Loki in The Avengers, but fortunately for the fans, he would later return in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where it would be revealed that he was revived using project TAHITI using alien blood to bring him back from the dead. After S.H.I.E.L.D. was officially disbanded and was forced to go underground, Fury named him Director and gifted him a toolbox filled with all the information he would need to carry out his duties.

4 Jeffrey Mace

After S.H.I.E.L.D. became public again, Jeffrey Mace replaced Coulson and was appointed as the leader and face of the organization, with him being publicly recognized as the agency’s first inhuman Director.

Fans would later come to learn that he actually wasn’t an Inhuman and was just posing one, instead using a formula created by the United States Armed Forces called the Patriot Serum to give him enhanced strength. Despite this, over time, Mace managed to prove himself as a hero, and ultimately died in the framework and sacrificed himself while helping rescue kids that Hydra had captured.

3 Daisy Johnson

After Coulson let himself get captured by General Hale, Daisy became acting director in his place. Despite only holding the role for a brief time, she was able to successfully retrieve both him and General Talbot from Hydra.

While she previously laughed off the idea when Coulson admitted that he had considered making her Director, she was pretty effective as a leader. Although she isn’t director anymore, she is still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a field agent out in space.

2 Deke Shaw

After he learned that someone had to stay behind in the alternate timeline in order for the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to make it back to the original one, Deke Shaw agreed to be the one to remain in the 1980s.

After the team leaves, Deke turns to find the remaining group of agents, following the Chronicom’s attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, looking to him as their new leader. Considering Shaw is originally from an alternate future and then ended up in an alternate past, he is definitely the most unlikely and unconventional Director S.H.I.E.L.D. has had.

1 Alphonso Mackenzie

Agent Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie is the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He was nominated for the position by Daisy near the end of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 after it was revealed that Coulson was dying and would no longer be a part of the team.

Despite being Director for only a few years, he has managed to successfully rebuild the organization from the ground up, establishing a space unit of the team as well as hiring new agents and restarting the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, now named after Coulson. It’s unknown what the future of the agency will look like going forward but it’s clear that he will be leading it.

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