Marvel's first proper foray into television began last night over in the Americas and kicks off here on Friday.
Written by Joss Whedon, the Nerd King of Earth and writer/director of Avengers, Agents of SHIELD exists in the same world as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but has more of an X-Files type focus to it. No Iron Man, no Thor... possibly some Hulk.
Lead by Agent Coulson, who is somehow still alive after being stabbed to death with a magic spear in the movie, the agents of Level 7 will encounter various people shaped threats and sort them out; be they mutants, meta-humans, robots or people in suits made of robots.
They work the cases SHIELD has yet to classify. Think NCIS or CSI, but with super powers. And less double rape homicides.
Clark Gregg is the face you know, and his team are the faces you don't. Protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. That's what it says on the website anyway.
From right to left there's Skye (Chloe Bennett), a newly recruited civilian computer expert with an obsession for superheroes and everything becaped. Then Agent Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), a biochemical expert with a potentially rough Northern accent (the actress hails from Sheffield) and weapons tech genius Agent Fitz, played by Scottish actor Iain de Caestecker, who recently featured in excellent James McAvoy movie Filth.
In the centre is the famous one from all the films, left-handed by Ming-Na as Agent May; ace pilot and for some reason I suspect high-kicking action queen, and finally Agent Ward (Brett Dalton), a gruff and macho manly man who has trouble playing well with others but gets in and gets the job done.
Kaboom!
The pilot episode features cameos from former Joss Whedon collaborators Rob Glass (Shepard Book from Firefly) and J August Richards (Gunn from Angel) as well as special guest Cobie Smulders as Nick Fury's second in Command Agent Maria Hill. No Sam Jackson to speak of, and Joss has said that he wants to keep Agents of SHIELD away from massive guest stars, so people don't just tune in waiting for Robert Downey Jr to pimp by. He wants you to meet these new guys and learn to love them.
Channel 4 have acquired the rights to the series, with the UK premier set for Friday 27th September at 8pm.
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Excelsior!
Words by Gazz Wood
Gazz Wood is a writer from The Northern Film School at Leeds Met University. As well as writing for Wireless he can also be heard on the monthly podcast Possibly of Interest with TV Producer Howard Cohen and special guests from the world of British TV and Cinema, plus his own weekly show Gazz Wood Has A Podcast. He can also be followed on Twitter @GazzPH90
