The premiere of Marvel’s new show, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, on ABC last night was a great continuation of the superhero genre in a unique way. Helmed by Joss Whedon, the story picks up where “The Avengers” left off after the Battle of New York, as the climatic battle at the end of the film has come to be called, with a special team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Led by fan favorite Agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, this ragtag team of agents are tasked with handling special cases of emerging superpowered persons. The show starts off strong with some metahuman action and the introduction of Coulson after his apparent death at the hands of Loki in Avengers. The series is being setup as a look at the ground level of the Marvel universe and the consequences of a world that has been upended by alien invasions and superheroes. One of the strongest parts of this premise is how tied together the entire Marvel universe is. There are several references to the previous films, which helps draw viewers who loved the films but doesn’t keep it so fan-oriented that the average television audience can’t connect. The big question is whether the show can hold viewers and not rely too much on the connection to the Marvel movies.
The biggest flaw in the show so far would be the characters. Whedon packed a lot of people into the show and it makes for crowded scenes. Alongside Agent Coulson are veteran agent Melinda May, recently promoted Agent Grant Ward, weapons tech Agent Leo Fitz, life sciences expert Agent Jemma Simmons, and a civilian computer hacker going by the name of Skye. Six main characters doesn’t sound like much but throughout the pilot there were at least four of the six in every scene. This can make the scenes fairly cumbersome especially when combined with the fairly cliche archetypes they personify. Gregg steals the limelight as Coulson by bringing the dry wit that made audiences fall in love with him during the films. The show may benefit from losing a character or two if they aren’t able to deliver the same kind of presence on screen.
All in all, the show has great potential. One of the biggest questions was how Coulson survived to be on the show. There was a quick moment where Coulson’s recovery in Tahiti was revealed to be something else. We aren’t sure what but it hints of a clock and dagger plot that could bring some more interest to the show’s backstory. Sadly, this merely plays off the film’s plots and doesn’t give the series much of a punch. The trick will be to come up with plots that further the concept of the show without relying on constant references to previous and upcoming Marvel movies. If Marvel can focus on making the show about the consequences of a world containing superpowers and their impact on regular people, it stands to become a new staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Who knows? This could change how comicbooks are being converted to the screen. Establishing an interconnected world of film and television could allow for stories to be told in completely new ways and it wouldn’t hurt Marvel’s bottomline either. Only time will tell.
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