Marvel is popularly known for making team-ups in the making, as shown previously in last year’s summer blockbuster, The Avengers. Set up since the first Iron Man film and working it’s way through it’s line up of characters solo films, the Avengers became a huge hit. Directed by Joss Whedon, it highlighted on how to make a superhero film work, but not just a superhero film, a superhero team film. With the heroic ensemble of Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow, the Avengers was a film that nobody has ever seen or experienced before. That’s where Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D comes in, another team-up or continuation with Whedon and Marvel. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is a spin-off television series based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). The pilot written and directed by Joss Whedon was greenlit by the end of 2012, officially ordered on May 10, 2013, which to it finally premiered on September 24, 2013. On October 10, 2013, following the pilot’s success, ABC picked it up for a full season of 22 episodes.
The pilot episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D focuses on agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg who reprises his role after his roles in the Marvel Cinematic films, as he rounds up other agents with his usual charm to handle strange new cases involving superpowers, science fiction and fantasy. Each case will test the cooperation and ingenuity as they try to work together in figuring out the newly emerging world of superheroes and villains. While Agent Coulson is putting together his squad, Grant Ward is his latest recruit, who is played by Brett Dalton. Coulson has also brought in young specialists Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), with a mysterious past of her own. This newly formed team, which soon to be introduced as part of “Level 7,” are on the hunt for a man (J. August Richards) who used his superhuman abilities to save someone from a fire. However, Agent Coulson warns that other far more nefarious groups are no doubt seeking this person as well and that their plan is to get to him first before they do.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in no way shape or form starts off slow, it gets straight to the action right away. With Agent Ward introduced in the opening sequences, it escalates into violence but with a dash of humor. It goes to show that Joss Whedon knows what he’s doing, and proves how deft he is at meshing different tones and expertly makes them work. It was very gratifying to see that Whedon had plenty of surprises in store, managing to take the story and players in unexpected directions. Several characters aren’t what they seem or reveal notable layers beyond what is first presented, while plenty of groundwork is set for the future. With Agent Coulson’s return, there is a lot of set ground to cover with his newly formed team of agents which should definitely be fun to watch in the upcoming episodes throughout the season. Whedon’s cleverness and with runs strongly through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Both Whedon and Marvel were obviously a perfect match in The Avengers and that inspired collaboration continues in this new series in a highly entertaining way that should keep fans coming back for more. 8/10
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