Item 47

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Item 47 is a 12-minute American direct-to-video short film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe about S.H.I.E.L.D. It was released on the home media release of Marvel's The Avengers on September 25, 2012, and is the third Marvel One-Shot short in MCU continuity. The film was directed by Louis D'Esposito, written by Eric Pearson, with music by Christopher Lennertz. It stars Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Bradford, Maximiliano Hernández, and Titus Welliver (reprising his role from the films).

Plot
Bennie and Claire, a down-on-their-luck couple, find a discarded Chitauri gun left over from the New York attack. They use it to rob a few banks, which draws the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Jasper Sitwell and Felix Blake. Sitwell tracks them to a motel, leading to a confrontation that destroys the stolen money. Instead of killing the couple, Sitwell invites them to join S.H.I.E.L.D.—Bennie works in a research and development think-tank to reverse engineer the alien technology, and Claire becomes Blake's assistant.

Production and release
Item 47 was filmed in four days and runs 12 minutes, longer than previous One-Shots. The idea came from noticing how weapons would be widespread after The Avengers. An early idea to center on Phil Coulson’s funeral was ultimately dropped. The short premiered on The Avengers Blu-ray and later appeared in the Marvel Phase Two collection, which includes audio commentary from the filmmakers and cast. It became available on Disney+ in 2022 along with other One-Shots and Team Thor films.

Impact and reception
The short helped spark the development of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which premiered on ABC in 2013 with Welliver appearing as a guest star. Reactions to Item 47 were mixed: some critics found it silly, while others praised the performances and the longer run time that allowed clearer storytelling and perspective from both sides. Overall, many saw it as a strong entry among the Marvel One-Shots.