By releasing films such as Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America and having them culminate in last year's The Avengers, Marvel Studios succesfully created a true movie universe. Superhero films are typically one-off affairs with sequels, but all of these films caused ripples in a single world, affecting the others that came after it.
As most recently displayed by Iron Man 3, the overarching storyline of the recent Marvel Studios films creates a comic-esque sense of cohesiveness. Fortunately for fans that need more heroic action to tide them over in-between movies, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is headed to ABC this fall.
Rumblings of a S.H.I.E.L.D-based televsion show have been around for several months now, but IGN confirms that the new show has been officially picked up as a series. So what can fans look forward to during Marvel Studios' first forway into weekly television?
The Stars: As the show's title suggests, Agents will focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or simply S.H.I.E.L.D. The team will be led by Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), the cheeky S.H.I.E.L.D. employee who was responsible for getting the Avengers team together in the films. While Coulson was very clearly killed in last year's The Avengers, writer Joss Whedon surely has some tricks up his sleeves when it comes to explaining his apparent reincarnation. Joining Coulson will be a squad of newly-created characters, including Agent Melinda May (Ming Na-Wen), Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), and Skye (Chloe Bennett). There has yet to be any confirmation on whether the likes of Iron Man and Thor will be making an appearance on set.
The Creators: Avengers fans can rest easy knowing Joss Whedon is directing the new ABC series, with Whedon, his brother Jed, and Maurissa Tancharoen all sharing writing duties. The show's pilot was filmed back in January, and with the show confirmed as a full series expect the crew to be hard at work bringing these new S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to life.
The Story: Plot details are still scarce at the moment, but expect Coulson to be taking his diverse squad of agents into action all over. According to the official ABC statement, "Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary."
Ready for your first look at Marvel's latest television adventure? You can catch the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. promo during Sunday's Once Upon a Time finale on ABC.
