After officially cancelling Inhumans late last week, ABC has left fans on tenterhooks these past few days with regards to the fate of the network’s other Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
The show has struggled in the ratings again this year and its future has been very uncertain, so much so that the producers had designed the upcoming fifth season finale as a potential series finale.
Well, we now have official confirmation that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has indeed been renewed, although the sixth season will have a shortened episode count of 13 as opposed to the regular 22.
If reports are to be believed, ABC originally wanted to cancel the Avengers spinoff last year following the end of season four, but the network received a mandate from Disney that it had to be renewed.
SEE ALSO: Promo and images for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 Finale – ‘The End’
Given that ratings have hit series lows these past couple of months, it would seem likely that season six will be the show’s last, unless we see a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.
UPDATE: ABC has now announced that the sixth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will not air until the summer of 2019, presumably following the release of Avengers 4.
“I feel the season we just had was creatively the strongest yet,” said ABC chief Channing Dungey. “We don’t plan it as a final season. The show has a loyal passionate base. It does incredibly well in delayed viewing. By putting it on the summer we feel we can super-serve the show’s audience and possibly have it on the air longer.”
