Despite being a decent TV series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. turned out to be the black sheep of the Marvel Universe, with the MCU almost ignoring the existence of the series. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios head, had informed series creator Joss Whedon of the plans for the movies before he took over the project. Feige had warned Whedon about the plot twist in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which brought about drastic changes in the series’ core premise.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the first television series created under the Marvel Television division headed by Jeph Loeb. Joss Whedon’s brother, Jed Whedon, and his brother’s wife, Maurissa Tancharoen, served as co-creators and showrunners on the series.
Kevin Feige Had A Word Of Warning To Joss Whedon Before He Took Up The TV Project
Joss Whedon was involved with the MCU as the director of its first ensemble film, The Avengers. Following the overwhelming response to the film, Whedon reportedly signed a huge contract worth around $100 million to direct the second Avengers film and a TV project centered around S.H.I.E.L.D. When Kevin Feige was informed of this decision, he had to clarify a few things with Whedon.
The studio head informed the Firefly director of some of the future plans, especially regarding what the movie universe had in store for S.H.I.E.L.D. Feige disclosed the plans to destroy the organization in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While Feige recognized the creative liberty of the TV series, the studio wanted the series to be more aligned with the movie plans. According to the book, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, Feige recalled:
“They had said early on, ‘Hey, we’re thinking about doing this show about the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Joss said, ‘I think I might do this.’ I said, ‘That’s cool. God bless you. But you should know that we’re destroying S.H.I.E.L.D. in Winter Soldier. You guys do whatever you want. But know that’s what we’re going to do.’”
It appears that Whedon was clear about his task in the TV series. However, the MCU movies paid little regard to the details of the series. For one, the series revolved around Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, who was killed off in The Avengers movie. Whedon resurrected the character in the series, but the MCU never addressed Coulson’s resurrection to maintain the impact it had on The Avengers’ audience.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tried Hard Keeping Up With MCU With No Reciprocity
Despite Kevin Feige’s promise of creative liberty, Joss Whedon revealed that the series had a set of constraints. There were rules against using spies, Hydra, or A.I. as these elements were part of the plans for that phase of the MCU. In an attempt to make the series feel more authentic within the film universe, the infamous Marvel Creative Committee pushed for changes in the series to align with the developments in the movies.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Chloe Bennet spoke out against Marvel, complaining that the universe didn’t acknowledge the series at all, despite pretending to do so. Bennet also suggested that it would have been great if the studio could have integrated some of the Avengers into the series. The crew believed that the series would have fared better as a standalone project without interference from the studio.
All the seasons of the series received a positive response, despite a drop in ratings over the course of the show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is now available for streaming on Disney+.
