The Consultant
Agent Coulson informs Agent Sitwell that the World Security Council wishes Emil Blonsky to be released from prison to join the Avengers Initiative. As Nick Fury doesn't want to release Blonsky, the two agents decide to send a patsy to sabotage the meeting...
How to watch Short film · Explains the bar scene from The Incredible Hulk
Coulson and Sitwell explain the bar scene that closes The Incredible Hulk: the World Security Council wanted Abomination for the Avengers Initiative, so S.H.I.E.L.D. sent Tony Stark to irritate General Ross into refusing. Watch it any time after The Incredible Hulk and that scene lands properly.
Why It Matters in the MCU
The One-Shot set between The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers clarifies why General Ross doesn't appear at the table in the later film by framing Tony Stark's consultant visit as a deliberate deterrent rather than a genuine recruitment attempt. It is the most narratively functional of the One-Shots — a piece of connective tissue that earns its three minutes by resolving a continuity question.
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4 titles lead into The Consultant — 8 hours in total. 3 of the 4 are essential.
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Where It Fits in the MCU
The Consultant sits at position 42 of 158 in the MCU's story-chronological order, placing it within the Phase 1 — The Avengers Initiative (2008–2012) era. It is rated Optional — can be skipped without losing the main thread. Watching in story-chronological order provides the most coherent character development experience — individual arcs build naturally toward the franchise's major crossover events, with each film's post-credits scenes carrying forward into what follows.
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Movie data from TMDB. Not endorsed by TMDB. As of October 5, 2026