Hero Worship: One Nation, Under S.H.I.E.L.D.

I’ll start by saying that I’m 100% behind the Marvel/Joss Whedon S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series. I think it’s a spectacular idea and a great way to introduce less mainstream characters into the cinematic universe and more importantly, to audiences that don’t read comic books. S.H.I.E.L.D. stands as a great tool for giving fans that only know the Marvel Universe on screen a chance to assimilate to characters like Mockingbird, Jimmy Woo, or Jessica Drew. This is very exciting to me.

But there is a concern here, too. Like flying too close to the sun or something. I speculated a while back about life after The Avengers, suggesting that TV would be Marvel’s best bet for expansion. While that remains true, seeing the plans for Phase 2 and Marvel’s exclusive contract with Joss Whedon, it feels like Marvel is once again putting all of its eggs in one basket.

Back when they announced The Avengers and how it basically hinged on the success of the films that came before it – imagine if Thor and Captain America flopped – I was nervous. But that risk paid off. I guess what I’m saying is, with Whedon only exclusive for a few years, there are a ton of things to get off the ground quickly under his leadership. Whedon is a hell of a talent for sure, but he’s still only human.

My other big concern for a S.H.I.E.L.D. show is that it’s inevitably going to live in the shadow of its big budget counterparts. Ratings will undoubtedly spike when one of the major movie stars make a rare appearance or when Hulk or Iron Man show up to assist in a battle or something. Engraining this show in the Marvel movie universe also means that it will be beholden to what the movies have planned, with Whedon acting as an intermediary of sorts.

But that means that there will be threads between the two entities – probably lots of S.H.I.E.L.D. cleaning up the political messes of the Avengers. That brings about the concern of the show struggling to remain self-contained. I don’t want it to fall into a situation where the threads of the show spill into the movies for conclusion (X-Files Seasons 5-6 anyone?). Sure, most people watching would likely be seeing the movies anyway, but that cheapens the storytelling of the show and the creativity of those involved in it.

X-Files: Season 5.5!

The Avengers freight train feels unstoppable now, with the movie being a ridiculous success. But as new elements become introduced, each link in the chain becomes more and more important. If one flops, the entire Avengers franchise is damaged. With the franchise now spilling into the television realm, even more stands to be lost if something should peter out. That said, the reward is potentially equally great. If a particular character takes off and resonates with audiences on TV, they certainly stand a better chance at receiving their own movie spin-off and raking in some more dough.

S.H.I.E.L.D: What We Might See (And What We Might Not)

Whatever the result of S.H.I.E.L.D., the fact remains that I’m truly fascinated by Marvel’s initiative. They are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a franchise for the first time, I would argue, since Star Wars became the pop culture phenomenon that it is today. Marvel is being progressive in every sense of the word, taking risks and trying new things with the Hollywood structure that audiences have never seen before.

If S.H.I.E.L.D. succeeds and does its job, coupled with the hopeful success of Phase 2, then I’ll be convinced that flying too close to the sun won’t be an issue for Marvel. They’ll just blow the sun right the hell out of orbit and continue on their merry way while the rest of us are sucked into the black hole of on-screen superheroes. Not that we’d complain.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.