Joss Whedon developing Marvel SHIELD series for ABC

[metaphysician]

There's also that, SHIELD and its agents don't always have to be totally overmatched for their to be tension and drama. There are a lot of threats that highly skilled, well equipped agents totally could deal with. . . the problem is, they have to deal with them very, very carefully, or else people die ( themselves or others ). They have to be perfect all the time, or things go pear shaped very quickly.

Besides, as shows like Burn Notice and Leverage demonstrate, there is totally a place on TV for pure "competence porn" even where you *do* figure the good guys will definitely win.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Besides, as shows like Burn Notice and Leverage demonstrate, there is totally a place on TV for pure "competence porn" even where you *do* figure the good guys will definitely win.

Lol, I'm a Leverage fan, and had no idea that term existed. It's fitting.

 

[Nave 'Torment']

No clue that the term existed! I'll be using it from now on XD

I wonder if it'll be a "spy series" in the Mission Impossible sense, or an "FBI" series like X-Files, or even something closer to true CIA-agents as in the works of le Carre (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). Robert Littel's The Company felt like a novel befitting a SHIELD story. The way I always broke down the cast in the film as though each character brought something from a different sub-category of the spy-genre:

Nick Fury = Snake Pliskin (Escape from NY) / Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) obviously

Hawkeye = James Bond / Ethan Hunt / Jason Bourne, again, obviously

Black Widow = SALT or someone from the TTSS world

Agent Hill = the by-the-book patriot, someone from GI Joe perhaps? High on gadgets

Agent Coulson = the man-in-black, FBI shadowy govt. agent guy like in X-Files.

So, a S.H.I.E.L.D. show ought to combine Metal Gear Solid, James Bond, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, G.I. Joe, and X-Files together to try and give us something new.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I suspect this will be more like 24 than Mission Impossible.

 

[Dark Raven]

I suspect this will be more like 24 than Mission Impossible.

I don't see why it has to be like either. It can be varied enough not to be formulaic, so that some weeks it's like a spy series, other weeks it's like Star Trek, in other weeks it's like a superhero series etc. That way it will remain interesting and not fall into a routine.

 

[Nave 'Torment']

well despite routines and formulas, there really is a genre-limitation on any story that you tell right?

 

[Dark Raven]

well despite routines and formulas, there really is a genre-limitation on any story that you tell right?

I'm not talking about the stories as such. There are only a certain number of basic plots, and everything else is a variation on that. I'm talking about the different types of settings and genre jumping. For example, a series like JAG frequently straddled two genres. Some episodes would be pure military action and missions out in the field. Others would be just courtroom drama and completely different to the other types of episodes.

With SHIELD, some of the episodes could be investigations along the lines of CSI/ NCIS, some could be missions like 24 or Alias, some could be superheroics like Heroes, Smallville or Alphas, some could be sci-fi like Warehouse 13 or Star Trek (two very different types of sci-fi) and some could even just be personal dramas. And if there is some kind of legal element occasionally to keep agents in check then it could also straddle legal drama too.

 

[Specter313]

S.H.I.E.L.D. your eyes if you don’t want to be spoiled, because we’ve got some cool info about Joss Whedon‘s forthcoming project.

TVLine has obtained exclusive casting details regarding the ABC pilot, which is helmed by the Avengers writer/director and based on a peacekeeping group that appeared in both the summer blockbuster and various Marvel comics.

The live-action pilot’s title is an acronym for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, a covert organization run by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in the movie.

Buffy creator Whedon is tentatively set to direct the pilot; he’s also slated to write the series with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen.

Among those fighting the good fight:

SKYE | This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.

AGENT GRANT WARD | Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.

AGENT ALTHEA RICE | Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.

AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS | These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/10/01/joss-w...88#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

 

[Human Torch]

This wouldn't surprise me.I've had a feeling it's going to be about SHEILD underlings from the begining..

 

[Warhammer]

...well if that's true, almost every single poster who came in this thread will be disappointed. All of those obscure Marvel characters to choose from and not one of them is on that list. I'm a little disappointed about that to be honest.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

These all sound like pretty comfortable, familiar Whedon archetypes. Looking forward to who they cast.

 

[Chewy]

...well if that's true, almost every single poster who came in this thread will be disappointed. All of those obscure Marvel characters to choose from and not one of them is on that list. I'm a little disappointed about that to be honest.

Doubt these are the characters' actual names... the archetypes are the only things to take away from this

 

[Human Torch]

Oh well,at least Arrow might be interesting.......

 

[marcvader]

The Calvary?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I suspect it's supposed to be "the Cavalry," since she uses heavy artillery and is a pilot. But maybe Whedon's making a biblical reference. Who knows?

 

[Primal Slayer]

I'm cool with it. Though if they were casting actual marvel they probably would keep it under wraps.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Yeah they could very well be casting w/different names to keep things on the down low for a while longer. That said I'm cool with fresh characters if things indeed go that way.

 

[The Question]

Casting sheets are never full of much useful information. Good casting sheets are intentionally vague about the characters so the actor might bring something new that the writers didn't think of.

 

[flickchick85]

Yeah, there's a good chance those aren't the final names of the characters.

Grant Ward could be Clay Quartermain, imo. Maybe. It doesn't sound like a perfect description of him, but it could fit.

 

[Shazam]

I think this is a bad idea......it's over-reach. I will tune in to see what they come up with. But this does not need to have an core group like those other shows you guys mentioned...(NCIS, Hawaii Five-O etc ).....

 

[Shazam]

Yeah, there's a good chance those aren't the final names of the characters.

Grant Ward could be Clay Quartermain, imo. Maybe. It doesn't sound like a perfect description of him, but it could fit.

Jasper Sitwell??

 

[DrCosmic]

My hopes:

Skye is Quake
Grant Ward will be Clay Quartermain
Althea Rice will be Carol Danvers known as "Warbird"
Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons will probably be new or remixed characters, hard to say how the mix will come about.

Jasper Sitwell??

Sitwell is not "quite the physical specimen" lol.

I think this is a bad idea......it's over-reach. I will tune in to see what they come up with. But this does not need to have an core group like those other shows you guys mentioned...(NCIS, Hawaii Five-O etc ).....

What does it need, then?

 

[DigificWriter]

Joss knows the difference between the words Cavalry and Calvary, so if one was used over the other, it was intentional.

Regarding characters, why should Joss - or anyone else for that matter - be limited to using existing characters, even peripheral ones? With that kind of a mindset, we never would've gotten Agent Coulson.

Edited to add: Why would Joss use 'placeholder names' and preliminary character descriptions?

 

[The Question]

Edited to add: Why would Joss use 'placeholder names' and preliminary character descriptions?

Because that's what casting sheets usually do. It's best when they're vague about the character and what their deal is. Gives actors room to get creative.

 

[DigificWriter]

I can see the point about placeholder names, but what is the point of putting out character descriptions that won't reflect the final characters? Just put out a general casting call and hand out the casting sides to people as they show up to audition.