Last year, ABC announced its intention to bring Marvel’s “S.H.I.E.L.D.” to television while keeping continuity with the Marvel feature films. And the project was immediately considered a frontrunner for ABC’s fall schedule.
A recent title change to “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on an ABC advertising site also indicated that the series is basically on its way. During an interview with TVLine, The Avengers director and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” executive producer, Joss Whedon was asked about the new name of the show. In response, Whedon said “I think it had to do with legal things… Ask Michael Chiklis, because I think it’s his fault.”
Regarding the apparent resurrection of Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson, Whedon noted that “all I can say is I think we handled it responsibly. For more than that, you’re going to have to watch.”
Whedon also addressed the rumors that “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” may introduce characters that can appear in the Marvel films or vice versa. “What we’re trying to do is open the door for that — but that’s not the door to the main room,” explained Whedon. “The big house is that ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ has to work on its own. It can’t be an Easter egg farm. It’s got to be a show with characters you care about week to week, that if you’ve never seen a Marvel movie you can turn into.”
“I believe the Marvel movies work partially because the idea of a superhero universe is not alien to our culture on so many levels,” continued Whedon. “We’re so used to it. And so the idea of a superhero show that isn’t about superheroes, I think its time has come.”
ABC is heavily expected to give the official greenlight to “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” within the next few weeks.
