Joss Whedon Talks Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series

Want to know more about Marvel’s Joss Whedon-helmed foray into live action television?

We have tons of questions about S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s TV adaptation of the comic book organization of the same name. Here’s what we know so far: It will be set in the same continuity as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (The Avengers, et al) the pilot’s script was a hit with executives, and Joss Whedon has a large slice of creative control over the series.

Coming Soon reports that the pilot for Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. wrapped production last week and is not on the fast track to full series by ABC. It will potentially air this fall. Marvel’s creative consultant Joss Whedon directed and co-wrote the pilot, and has high hopes for the possible series.

“I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show,” Whedon told TVLine in an interview. “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.”

One of the big questions is how S.H.I.E.L.D. will keep up with the high budget Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“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,” Whedon says.

Another big question: Will popular Marvel characters already in the films appear in the show, even for cameos? Whedon says that characters like Cobie Smulders’ Mariah Hill could definitely appear when their schedules permit, but, “right now, I want to involve people in the characters that we’ve created for the show and then we’ll worry about the other stuff.”

The show’s cast includes Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na We as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Gemma Simmons, and Chloe Bennet as Skye.

The show will also take place after The Avengers in continuity, meaning that Agent Coulson’s film death could be retconned. It is a comic book adaptation, after all.

Though we have questions, we also have a lot of faith. Whedon is a proven television creator, and he’s obviously not cocky enough to rule out another series, despite his meteoric success with The Avengers. He’s the kind of guy who cares about the story, so while we’re all still wondering about the S.H.I.E.L.D. show, very few of us have any doubt that A) a series was the right way to go, and B) that the result will be epic.