Clark Gregg says Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will likely end after Season 7

They say cockroaches can outlive anything. Not so for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. A few short weeks after jokingly comparing Agent Phil Coulson to that heartiest of critters for the way in which his character manages to defy death in the MCU — as appears to be the case yet again despite seemingly being killed off at the end of the show's fifth season — Gregg is now revealing that the ABC drama will likely conclude its run after the seventh season.

The not so welcome news comes despite the Alphabet network's decision to pick up the Marvel TV series for two shortened seasons with Season 6 already in the can and set to premiere this May; and Season 7 just months away from shooting and expected to hit the airwaves in 2020.

"That's the word I've heard," Gregg told Den of Geek while making the press rounds for Captain Marvel. "The announcement I read was, two more seasons, six and seven."

Seemingly sacrificing his body to save Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and keep the world from literally going to pieces in the finale of Season 5, the new trailer for Season 6 touts Coulson's return — though in what form is another matter entirely.

While S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't exactly been a big ratings driver, it's repeatedly earned praise from critics and fans alike for its twists and turns and giving comic books new life and respectability on the small screen.

But all good things must come to an end, and two more seasons appear to be the limit for producers, which will take Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. into 2020. Of course, all that could change if the ratings remain strong, but for now it sounds like fans should enjoy these next two seasons and prepare for closure.

Gregg hastened to add that while he "really doesn't know much about" Season 7 and how the show's going to wrap up, he's "excited" for what's to come this spring with Season 6's premiere.

"People who have been on the journey with me and with Phil Coulson are going to get something very, very different," he teased.

When we last saw Coulson on S.H.I.E.L.D., he was bidding a moving farewell to the team in Tahiti as he opted to accept the fate of a slow death and live out his remaining time with Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen). But the beloved operative will be popping up in Captain Marvel, natch, since Marvel's latest MCU movie is set in the '90s. So perhaps we'll spy a clue as to how he's been able to repeatedly stick around (is he a robot? A clone? A shapeshifting Skrull?). And who knows? Perhaps Coulson's death in 2012's Avengers may not be the last time we'll be seeing him on the big screen in the modern day.

Whatever his fate, Gregg is just happy to continue playing the character for this long.

"I'll never say no when the Marvel Universe calls up," he added. "I feel very grateful for what I've done."

Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8.