There isn't a whole lot of information around about what we can really expect from S.H.I.E.L.D. as a series. We know it's supposed to be the "little guy" stories in the MCU and we've been given character descriptions, but what kind of storyline (and what kind of stories) are still a mystery beyond the likely case-of-the-week formula everyone expects.
It's certain that the show will be a vehicle to introduce new characters. Who those characters are has yet to be leaked. Joss Whedon can be sneaky, so it could be anybody. We know Joss Whedon can be sneaky, because I'm writing an article speculating about who could appear in a television show he's producing starring a character he famously killed last summer.
Whedon's already started on the Avengers 2 script. Chances are they have some new teammates in the sequel. Chances are some of those teammates will show up in the television show he's producing in between tent poles. Here's a look at a few that would really stand out.
Vision is not on the list, because I'm happy to wait until Ant-Man. We can agree to disagree on that if you feel differently.
I can wait for Vision until we get a Henry Pym to build him, but that doesn't mean there's any reason to make everyone wait for the winsome one. Sure, he technically created her, too, but we don't need to worry about all that. In fact, we don't even need her to have powers. We just need to get Ms. van Dyne into the world.
The logic is pretty simple. Janet van Dyne grew up as the spoiled daughter to a rich scientist, not unlike Tony Stark, who she co-founded The Avengers with. Unlike Tony Stark, her father was killed horribly in an accident.
Before that accident occurred, she was a shallow and selfish teenager - a character archetype Maurissa Tancharoen could have a field day with. Her father is directly involved with developing Pym particles, so there's any number of reasons the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents could run into her.
Even if we don't get to see her shrink down and shoot lasers up a bad guy's nose, it would be a real treat to see her get some much deserved screen time.
John Walker - U.S. Agent/Super Patriot This one almost feels like a no-brainer. Naturally, one of the first things the government would do after The Avengers is try and build a backup Captain America. They've already expressed strong interest in a backup Iron Man and a backup Incredible Hulk. Guaranteed they want a backup Thor (and if
Civil War is any indication, they've already started working on one). Chances are a backup Captain America would be the first realized considering they're responsible for the original.
Consider the giddy joy Coulson would get if he were given a chance to help train the Captain America for the new generation. John Walker never fought in WWII, so he'll need to be put through the paces. Who better to serve as his Yoda for an episode or two than Cap's number one fan?
U.S. Agent has a pretty impressive history in the Marvel universe, and he faces a unique struggle during the aforementioned Civil War storyline when he has to make a decision between his country and his hero. Marvel has expressed interest in translating the Civil War story onto the big screen, and it would be interesting to see how they handled John Walker's story - especially if he had a solid history.
Jennifer Walters - She-Hulk Marvel is building their universe with the goal of exploring multiple genres. It shouldn't be a stretch to think that they're pondering the same formula on television, with S.H.I.E.L.D. acting as the Iron Man of the medium.
S.H.I.E.L.D. seems as if it is going to feel something like a police procedural, but with a comic book twist. That makes sense considering the popularity of all those alphabet shows that take place in crime labs. Those shows are popular. As popular as legal dramas.
And who better to work the legal end of the spectrum than Jennifer Walters? All the tools are in place. Everyone knows S.H.I.E.L.D. has a bunch of Banner blood. Secret agents often have to deal with local law, even when they work for a super spy agency based out of a giant, invisible, flying aircraft carrier. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.
She-Hulk has always offered readers a unique view into the comic book world. Unlike her barbaric male counterpart (and cousin), She-Hulk is a mostly level-headed lawyer with a mean right cross. She has the word "hulk" in her name, but her real value often lies in her brains, not her brawn. Additionally, since she's Bruce Banner's cousin and a product of his condition, an episode featuring a She-Hulk story can help fill out the Hulk mythology without actually using the big green monster.
Wendell Vaughn - Quasar If there's one thing the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy portends, it's that the MCU is about to get even more cosmic. If there's one Avenger that can make the universe a little more cosmic, it's Quasar.
Wendell Vaughn got his start as a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee. He passes all the tests, but doesn't get to be an agent because his teachers think he's too soft. He gets a job as a security guard, ends up with a pair of cosmic power bands and becomes defender of the entire universe.
Figuring he doesn't have enough to do, he starts a security company and joins the Avengers. Because being defender of the universe doesn't take a whole lot of time.
Quasar was a fairly important character during the time of the Infinity Gauntlet. The Infinity Gauntlet was a weapon Thanos used to court Death. Thanos was in an Avengers credits scene. I honestly have no idea what the character has really accomplished since the early 90s, but looking around at the current landscape I can argue a strong case for brushing him off and using him in the MCU.
Hercules Releasing Thor was an interesting experiment for Marvel. In some ways it was more of an experiment than Iron Man.
Sure, Iron Man was first. But in retrospect, everything about Iron Man working makes sense. Iron Man wasn't a character that was already well-established with a casual movie audience, but the world was on a superhero high and Iron Man was a superhero the world was ready for. Marvel, Favreau and Downey made the brilliant decision to give a celebrity-hungry audience a charismatic celebrity superhero covered in tech, set in a relatively realistic world.
With Thor they had to give the audience a Norse God from a world filled with the threats of frost giants and black magic. In a world where superheroes were becoming more grounded, Marvel flipped the script and produced a Shakespearean redemption tale.
And it worked. Thor is only one of many, many mythological deities that run around the Marvel Universe.
Hercules is another one of them, and he's usually written to be much more everyman than Thor. Hercules has been a member of a bunch of different groups, he's one of the most well-known mythological figures thanks to tons of movies about him - not to mention a popular television show. Given the right treatment, Herc could be a stand-out star in the new universe Marvel is building for a wider audience.
That's all I got this time. Thanks for reading. As we get closer to seeing the
S.H.I.E.L.D. television show become a reality I'll explore the possibilities more. Until then, check out one of my other
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