We’re picking through every inch of the cast photo for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 for hints at what’s to come.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 cast photo was revealed today by Entertainment Weekly, along with the news that Stargate Universe actor Lou Diamond Phillips has directed in the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season.
Aside from being quite a striking image, members of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast and crew have teased multiple Easter eggs hidden in the picture, offering hints and clues at what’s to come.
Naturally, I took this as a challenge. Here are all the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 Easter eggs (and probably some random, insignificant details) that I’ve managed to dig up from the cast picture.
1. The concept
Right off the bat, the arrangement of the cast seems like an important clue. Lined up in various poses behind a table (and I’ll get to the table in a minute) the image is strongly reminiscent of da Vinci’s Last Supper, in which the twelve disciples gather around Jesus before he is betrayed and killed.
Mack, the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., stands in the position of Jesus. Unnervingly, Elena — the Inhuman speedster, badass, and Mack’s girlfriend — is posed pretty much exactly like Jesus’s betrayer Judas.
(Sure looks like we’re in for happy fun times on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. again!)
The rest of the characters are harder to place exactly within the context of The Last Supper, but there are a few clues. In the original painting, Judas leans with his arm on the long table. Along with Elena, May and Deke copy this pose and frame the action, while Fitz seems to be pulling Daisy’s hand away from that angle. (A betrayal prevented, perhaps?)
Also reminiscent of the painting is the arch behind the characters, and possibly (I may be reaching) the diamond pattern in the back wall. Most of all though, the sense of frozen action pervades; as in The Last Supper, something big seems right around the corner.
2. ‘Coulson’
The character most out of place in The Last Supper-esque tableau is Coulson — or anyway, the guy who looks exactly like Coulson and is also played by Clark Gregg. (Official word has the real Coulson absolutely-100%-dead, which in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. terms is very far from definitive.)
But regardless of what happens in the long run, the man who looks so much like Coulson is clearly posed as an outsider to this scene. Shaded in darkness, the most notable thing about him might be the clear gap between him and Elena — and the way his figure overlaps with that of Agent May.
Oh… and he’s looking straight at the camera. Take that for what you will.
3. The table
Any good sendup of The Last Supper needs a long table behind which to stage its action. In the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 cast photo though, that’s no dinner table — it looks like some kind of casino game. (May’s drink is the only nod to the wine at Jesus’s table.)
A few things to note about this table: There are strange symbols on the inside which seem to lay out the points of this mysterious game. (I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s alien.) The game seems to be played with large dice, judging by the collection near Deke and Daisy’s hands. A spearlike weapon is mounted on the opposite side, along with two circles that are either shields, or symbolically important, or absolutely meaningless decoration.
It’s also worth noting that only the crowd to the right of Mack — Daisy, Fitz, Simmons, and Deke — appear to be playing. No one else is even watching the game, which could indicate a split mission in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6’s 13 episodes.
4. Deke the thief
Deke is stealing what looks like the chips from this mysterious game. Could he have his own agenda this season? And does it have anything to do with that weird tube with the red light in it that rests by his elbow?
5. Fury’s Toolbox
It’s not surprising that Mack, as the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., now has possession of Fury’s little know-it-all cube, the Toolbox. But it is slightly strange to see it placed here in this image, resting gently in Mack’s grasp. All I can say for sure is that that little cube is certainly due for more action in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6.
6. Elena’s badge
The only appearance of the classic S.H.I.E.L.D. logo in the cast photo appears on Elena’s arm. There might not be anything to make of this; perhaps she’s kept some company gear while the others haven’t, or the logo is there for the sake of the photo.
Still, the logo looks… slightly weird on Elena’s arm. It’s bulging out at a strange angle and seems slightly askew. Obviously, Elena has a metal arm under that jacket, so this may or may not be one of the hidden Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Easter eggs. Either way, it’s worth noting, as the series moves ever farther away from its home base of Earthbound bureaucratic hierarchies.
7. What is Fitz doing?
Fitz and Simmons are the only two characters on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 cast photo who are wearing anything close to real expressions. Fitz looks like he’s anticipating something (or perhaps he’s alarmed, but that might just be the lighting) as he seems to be casting dice onto the table with a very oddly gloved hand. He’s also the only cast member not clad entirely in black, which may suggest some divergent adventure for the Fitz still frozen in space with Enoch.
Related: Clark Gregg suggests Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D season 7 will be its last
But whether her husband is distressed or just focused, Simmons seems quite unconcerned. For once, she’s smiling, happily invested in whatever gamble the rest of the team is either ignoring or dispassionately observing.
And don’t ignore the strange symbol behind Fitz. There’s absolutely no way of knowing what that means yet (except, very likely, more aliens!) but the design is clearly deliberate, and will likely have some meaning for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6.
8. The lighting
There’s no way around it: The lighting in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 cast photo is weird. There’s the reddish-pink glow from the gambling table that looks like something out of Stranger Things. There’s the reflected color on May, Fitz, Simmons, and Deke’s faces that completely misses Mack and Coulson. There’s the ominous, angry red light behind May that is not seen anywhere else in the image. And then there’s the swallowing blues and blacks, gobbling up the scene.
It’s impossible to say what all that means, if it means anything at all. But one thing is clear: Without saying a word, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has set the tone for thirteen moody episodes that look like they will take fans to places they have never seen before.
And for this show, that’s really saying something.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 premieres in May on ABC.