Joss Whedon’s ‘SHIELD’ Pilot: First Character Details Surface

Joss Whedon’s SHIELD pilot is apparently well underway. The Avengers director is reportedly writing the project with brother Jed Whedon and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen for the folks over at ABC. Since anything and everything the Firefly mastermind touches eventually ends up on the internet sooner or later, casting details about his latest endeavor are starting to emerge.

According to Screen Rant, Whedon, who may direct the pilot should he find the time in his busy schedule, explained that the characters featured in the upcoming SHIELD television show will be different than those who appear in Marvel’s cinematic endeavors. This will reportedly help the filmmaker from causing any unsightly continuity errors.

As such, fans of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury will be disappointed to hear that their hero won’t be appearing in the television series. Although a cameo probably isn’t out of the question, don’t expect Jackson’s interpretation of the character to make regular appearances on the program.

The folks over at TVLine got their hands on some details regarding the characters featured in Joss Whedon’s SHIELD pilot:

SKYE – This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.

AGENT GRANT WARD – Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.

AGENT ALTHEA RICE – Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.

AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS – These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Presently, it’s unknown when Joss Whedon’s SHIELD pilot will make it onto ABC’s schedule. However, that doesn’t mean Marvel fans won’t have plenty to keep them busy in the meantime. Iron Man 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 3, 2013 while Thor: The Dark World arrives a few months later on November 8, 2013. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, on the other hand, isn’t scheduled for release until August 1, 2014.

Who do you think should be cast in Joss Whedon’s SHIELD project?