One of the best kept secrets of the upcoming fall season is ABC’s new show, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. At the ABC Television Critics Association Press Day (TCAs), the executive producers and cast spoke cautiously to journalists. They didn’t reveal too many secrets, but did provide insight into the series.
Who’s Here:
Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson)
Ming-Na Wen (Agent Melinda May)
Brett Dalton (Agent Grant Ward)
Chloe Bennet (Skye)
Iain De Caestecker (Agent Leo Fitz)
Elizabeth Henstridge (Agent Jemma Simons)
Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell, Jeph Loeb (Executive Producers)
Highlights from the Panel:
- Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD takes place in a post-Avengers world.
- The show will likely be tied into the future Marvel movies, but discussions are still on-going about how and when. Joss Whedon said, “As much as we can allow.”
- It looks bigger and more expensive than it is due to those involved and a good production team. There will be cool visuals, but it’s more about the characters.
- Caestecker and Henstridge use their British accents in the show. It makes it easier for them.
- SHIELD is not an American organization. It’s a transnational group.
- “This is a team of misfits coming together.” – Henstridge
- Next to last day filming the Avengers he was killed, Gregg said “It was really clear that I was dead.” Four or five months after Avengers, Joss Whedon called Gregg and said he wanted Coulson on the TV series.
- “There was never going to be a show called Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD without Gregg (Coulson).” – Loeb
- Wen is proud to show off her arms and loves to kick ass. She’s enjoying it even though she hates working out.
- Marvel is one universe. Games, cinema or TV are all part of one world. They will try to maintain continuity as much as possible.
- The producers don’t try to think about hugeness of the show and the importance to ABC, instead they just make the show.
- J August Richards isn’t on the panel and Joss Whedon won’t confirm or deny whether he will appear beyond the pilot. His answer, “I thought he was great, so you do the math.”
- The why and how of Coulson’s survival is revealed in the premiere, but the complete story will come out over the first few episodes.
- They are making a show for the whole family and inclusive. Bell, said, “We hope this is big and broad enough for everybody.”
- Gregg described Coulson as “the guy at Lollapalooza in the green room managing all these diva rock stars.”
- Each episode there will be a “challenge” for the team to face. It won’t necessarily be a hero. It could be a device, hero, or something else. Plus, the overarching mythology will be explored throughout the season.
- Secrecy behind the SHIELD pilot was/is because they want viewers to have a shared experience of watching the show together and live without having been spoiled. The filming was under high security to prevent details, including casting, from getting out.
- Joss and Jed started doing films together when Jed was 8. Joss would tell his younger brother what to say and he would be funny. They worked together for the first time on Dr. Horrible.
- The pilot shot scenes in Paris and hope to film more internationally. The production is so secret they won’t reveal where the series is filmed.
- The SHIELD team is based out of a plane, which the studio bought.
- “I’m ruling out a musical episode.” – Joss Whedon
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D premieres on Tuesday, September 24 at 8 pm ET.
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(Image courtesy of ABC.)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.
