In ABC's 'S.H.I.E.L.D.,' human agents take the stage

ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will highlight the people without superpowers. "Everybody matters. People who get shunted to the side in a giant epic can take the spotlight," says executive producer Joss Whedon, who directed and co-wrote the pilot. S.H.I.E.L.D. follows a group of agents led by the revived Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who died in The Avengers film, that investigates the strange and unknown around the world. In the pilot, the agents track a mysterious group called The Rising Tide. S.H.I.E.L.D. is "a transnational organization that's protecting humanity and bringing humanity together," Gregg says. S.H.I.E.L.D. exists in the same Marvel universe that includes Iron Man and Thor and takes place after the action of The Avengers, which was directed by Whedon. There are likely to be tie-ins and connections to other Marvel characters in the series, but that's not the main goal. "There will be as much (synergy) as we can allow. It's a fun opportunity. It's not the reason behind the show. We want people to come back because of these people," Whedon says, referring to series cast members who joined him on stage for a presentation today at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Whedon, who will direct The Avengers sequel and is already working on the project, says he will stay as involved in the series "as much as an executive producer can who's also making a movie." He says he will also rely on a strong staff of producers and writers, which include executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, his brother. Producers hope the show can appeal to the huge Marvel fan base and to an even larger audience. "Every week, it's not going to be some new hero. It can be a device. It can be a mystery. There are so many aspects to what's happened since everybody in the world found out (in The Avengers that) there was this superhero team and there are aliens who invade New York," Joss Whedon says. "We want to deal with every aspect, spy stuff, hero stuff, heartfelt stuff, humor, obviously. We want something that feels a bit different, so it's not just turkey every day."

 News source: www.usatoday.com

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