Last year, fans were seriously expecting season 5 to be Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s last. Yet, here we are with not only a sixth season on the way but also a seventh season already ordered. And it seems ABC’s keen to keep the episodes rolling fast, as season 7 is set to go before the cameras very soon.
Discussing Film is reporting that the Marvel spinoff show is eyeing up a production start date of February 2019. This is surprisingly soon, as season 6 only just reached the end of filming. In fact, the wrap party was celebrated this December. However, it makes more sense when you consider that both runs will consist of 13 episodes rather than the typical 22, making them speedier to produce.
ABC’s intention is clearly to air season 7 as part of the 2019/2020 season, perhaps in late fall or early winter. This should come as a treat for S.H.I.E.L.D. fans, too, as season 6 will have only just aired over the summer. The renewal of the show, albeit at a reduced episode count, seemed like a bit of mixed blessing, but now it looks like we’ll get more from the gang than we thought next year.
If you look solely at the show’s network ratings, you’d be surprised as to why S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to last so long, especially after its fellow ABC Marvel series, Agent Carter and Inhumans, have been cancelled. S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s secret though is that it does incredibly well on streaming services. In fact, it’s actually the most successful Marvel TV show, even more popular than Netflix’s superhero titles.
Fans will be hoping that this stays true of seasons 6 and 7, too, so that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can last into the next decade. Everything about the series is up in the air at the moment – even the fate of Phil Coulson’s unknown after the season 5 finale seemingly saw him face his death – but you can bet we’ll be tuning in when the gang returns to our screens to see what comes next.
