Agent Phillip "Phil" Coulson is a fictional character portrayed by American actor Clark Gregg and presented in his likeness. The character first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a supporting character in Avengers 2012 - a shared fictional universe that is the setting of several superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios - and, due to his popularity, has gone on to appear in the mainstream Marvel Comics universe, animated television series Ultimate Spider-Man and more expanded media. The details of his character vary between portrayals, but he is always a spy working for the fictional espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.. Within the films, Coulson is generally used to represent S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement in the plot, to the point of being described as "the S.H.I.E