Only a short time ago Marvel announced that their go-to guy, The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon, would be bringing the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D. to the small screen in a new series for ABC.
Well, it seems that they haven’t been wasting any time developing the show, as TVLine has obtained some casting details for the pilot based on the super secret organization featured in last summer’s blockbuster.
It’s still early in the production process and these may not be the same agents of the long-winded Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division that we’ll be falling in love with on the small screen in the future. Regardless, it does give us a good idea of what type of characters the show will feature.
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.
I love that even on paper it sounds like a fun ensemble cast. One of the strongest aspects of Whedon’s past small screen works, like the underrated Firefly, is the focus on multiple characters. Each character has their own time to shine without taking away from the overall story arc. With the characters listed above, it seems like we can get a little bit of everything; action, comedy, and gadget wizardry.
Whedon, who’s almost certain to direct the pilot, will be penning the series with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. Just the fact that Whedon will remain involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. at such a close level makes my nerd-sense tingle. I can’t wait to see what details will come our way next.
What do you think of the casting news? Let us know in the comments below.
