As well as launching Phase Two of its Cinematic Universe with the release of Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, Marvel is also hoping to branch out into live-action television this year with S.H.I.E.L.D., the pilot episode of which has been co-written and directed by The Avengers mastermind Joss Whedon. Having wrapped filming on the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot last week, Whedon was at the Streamy Awards on Sunday, where he took the opportunity to discuss Marvel’s first small screen venture.
“I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show,” Whedon told TV Line. “It’s not about murder, and it’s not about crime, and it’s not people looking into their own belly buttons. It’s about people who are trying to help each other, and that’s one of the things I loved about comic books. They had costumes and the villains were cool [but] they stood for something, and I like doing a show that does that. We’re trying very hard to be true to [Marvel’s] ethos and also to the structure of their universe. So it is definitely a Marvel show.”
S.H.I.E.L.D. sees fan favourite Agent Phil Coulson back from the dead and leading a cast of original characters that includes Ming-Na Wen (Stargate Universe) as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton (Killing Lincoln) as Agent Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker (Coronation Street) as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge (The Thompsons) as Agent Gemma Simmons and Chloe Bennet (Nashville) as Skye. While Whedon’s plans for the series revolves around these original characters, he’s not ruling out the possibility of any guest appearances from familiar faces from the MCU, although he did state that Cobie Smulders’ (Agent Maria Hill) schedule “will permit very little [involvement], but if we can get a hold of her anytime, we will.”
Originally published February 18, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
