“Agents of SHIELD” Promises Grittier Drama, Sexier Results
Agents of SHIELD starts its fourth season Tuesday night, and executive producers promise a lot of shakeup and changes
Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, executive producers for Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, spilled the beans to Entertainment Weekly regarding the upcoming fourth season and what to expect.
Well, sort of. We’re dealing with Marvel after all, so of course the interview doesn’t give many specifics, more broad strokes. And really, what more can we ask for with the premiere right around the corner?
Let’s start with my favorite quote from Whedon, because most fans have assumed the show’s later time means a darker edge. Check it out:
"We think with the MCU moving in that direction, it opens up our show to something that presents as very strange and very different. Also, tonally we’re moving to 10 o’clock. We think that there’s a grittier aspect to our show. There’s obviously been plenty of heartbreak and plenty of emotion, but we think that there’s a grittier, and at times, a sexier vibe to our show this year. The last reason he fits onto our show is that Marvel said, “Do you guys want Ghost Rider?” And we said, “Yeah.”"
Firstly, all I can think of is Homer Simpson spoiling It Never Ends by adding, “With sexy results!” This doesn’t necessarily mean that Agents of SHIELD will go the Jessica Jones route with sex scenes. But it wouldn’t surprise me if the tone gets darker as the season progresses.
Season three already took a turn toward the dark, and certainly ended on a darker note than normal. What with Lincoln’s sacrifice, Coulson’s demotion, and Daisy’s on-the-run persona, we’re in for a wild ride.
This doesn’t even bring into account the addition of Robbie Reyes and Ghost Rider. Like with other characters from the comics, the show plans on putting its own spin on Ghost Rider. In other words: don’t look to the comics to try to see what’s going to happen.
Agents of SHIELD is known for its tie-ins to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a great turning point for the show (remember when it turned out Ward was Hydra?!). This year, the next movies are Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. How the heck do you tie into either of those?
"WHEDON: Our ties are at times very direct and at times are more thematic. The tie this year will feel more of a reflection of the movie, less an interweaving plot. As [Doctor Strange] movie hits the world, it comes at the right time in our show, and you will see some of those same ideas being explored.TANCHAROEN: The same questions that our team is exploring leading up to the premiere of Doctor Strange, perhaps some of those concepts will be reflected in the movie and then carried through."
We already know Marvel’s Agent Carter‘s Zero Matter was really Darkforce, and a tie into Doctor Strange. This show’s may not be so direct, but it depends on how many multiverses it opens up. And who knows where Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will take us, but we have an entire season of episodes to get us there.
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Agents of SHIELD returns to televisions on Tuesday, September 20th at 10pm. Be there and be square!