Clark Gregg On 'AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.' And Working With Joss Whedon

Clark Gregg On 'AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.' And Working With Joss Whedon

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." will have 22 episodes if the ratings are high says actor Clark Gregg. He also says the ABC primetime television show is a "superhero action dramedy." Be sure to visit our Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. section for all the latest news.

By MarkJulian - Jun 29, 2013 07:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Source: Nerdist

In one of the final promotional stops by actor Clark Gregg for Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing" the ever-present and soon to be resurrected S.H.I.E.L.D. agent touched on what answers fans can expect to be revealed in the pilot episode of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Said Gregg on whether the mystery of his return will be revealed in the first episode, "Yeah, it’s the question of the day. It’s a question that is not walked away from in the pilot, but if I said that it was resolved in the pilot, I would be being less than truthful." When asked about the episode count for the show, Gregg stated that presently, they're only officially confirmed for 13 episodes but if the show proves popular (and of course it will, right?) ABC will pick them up for 9 additional episodes for a grand total of 22 episodes. Explained the Coulson actor, "If it’s anything like the past I’ve had in a sitcom, I think technically you’re picked up for 13, and then they decide a certain portion of the way through if they’re going to pick it up for the back 9 and make it a full 22, but we start shooting, either 13 or 22, in mid-July."

When asked about the difference between working with Joss Whedon on "The Avengers", "Much Ado About Nothing" and now "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", Gregg responded by referencing his previous Marvel experience working with Jon Favreau on "Iron Man" and Kenneth Branagh on "Thor." He explained, "The Avengers was probably more Shakespearean; [Agents of S.H.I.El.D.] felt very much like a different — I’ve been in a bunch of different chapters in the Marvel universe. Iron Man felt completely different from Thor. Favreau in many ways felt very different from Kenneth Branagh; also, they’re both actors and both hilarious people. This chapter that is Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is less superhuman. It certainly focuses on the people that Agent Coulson represents, the vulnerable, extremely talented agents who are there to deal with the world after The Avengers, where a lot of secrets have been revealed, and a lot of people want them."

Continuing the S.H.I.E.L.D. discussion Gregg stated that fans shouldn't expect a tepid, boring procedural, exclaiming "Procedural, to me, implies an investigation and a dryness. There’s just too damn many incredible special effects for me to think of [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.] as a procedural. It’s like a kind of a superhero action dramedy."






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"Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson's team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker, Skye (Chloe Bennet).

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s first television series, is from executive producers Joss Whedon (Marvel's The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who co-wrote the pilot (Dollhouse, Dr.Horrible's Sing-Along Blog). Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias) and Jeph Loeb (Smallville, Lost, Heroes) also serve as executive producers. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television."

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HappyHogan
HappyHogan - 6/29/2013, 7:39 AM
They better not make up a bunch of characters for this show
jessepostal
jessepostal - 6/29/2013, 7:45 AM
I hope new or old Christine make a cameo :)
hummingbird68
hummingbird68 - 6/29/2013, 7:56 AM
Marvel's Agents Of Shield, Tuesday 8:00 PM on ABC Premieres Sep 03, 2013.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 6/29/2013, 7:58 AM
Heroes had 23 episodes in the first season. The only filler episode was BADASS with an alternate timeline, and had nothing to do with the rest of the story.

They can figure it out, just need to make their original characters fun and interesting.
CPBuff22
CPBuff22 - 6/29/2013, 8:06 AM
@White I dunno 24 seemed to make every episode important.
marcel
marcel - 6/29/2013, 8:25 AM
I've been under the impression they enjoy working long days and late nights together. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 6/29/2013, 8:29 AM
I hope this does well, ABC is know for pulling the plug right away before a show can really develop.
rocky
rocky - 6/29/2013, 8:32 AM
I'm in.
I never got into heroes because TO ME it seemed like a blatant rip-off
of the X-Men

I love my funny books and it's mostly those characters and their universe that I want to see on tv and in films
Hudson3D
Hudson3D - 6/29/2013, 8:46 AM
Dont't worry my lovelys... This will get all the episodes. It already has so many people waiting for it and will gather new audiences when it begins... It will be a hit...
ruadh
ruadh - 6/29/2013, 9:39 AM
"Undisclosed date in Fall can't come soon enough!"

Brilliant.
frova
frova - 6/29/2013, 9:47 AM
@white

Lost barely had filler episodes. I only remember one in the whole series, and it was in the 4th or 5th season. It was a very plot driven show. However, it did move slow, but that's because they spent so much time developing the characters. Just because a show moves slow doesn't mean it's not good.
ruadh
ruadh - 6/29/2013, 9:51 AM
@frova

I agree about Lost. It's hard for me to find episodes that don't more the plot forward. If they'd known from the beginning how long the show would air (and...you know...how it should end), it would have most likely been tighter. Still my top dramatic series though.
TheAbomination
TheAbomination - 6/29/2013, 10:30 AM
Joss Whedon shows are never boring. True story.
LeonNova
LeonNova - 6/29/2013, 10:34 AM
Buffy had 22 each season (except the first) and I think it was a really great show. There were a few filler episodes here and there, but most of the time there were episodes that moved the main plot along. I've never seen someone bitch so much about filler episodes, most of the filler episodes on Buffy tended to be entertaining and enjoyable regardless, some of you are TOO MUCH of geeks, that you can't just enjoy anything, you have to nitpick and find flaws with everything. I'm expecting this show to be awesome. And no it won't get canceled, firefly was then, this is now. Everybody knows Whedon is responsible for getting Marvel their first billion dollar, critically acclaimed movie in The Avengers. And the success of that movie is partially why Iron Man 3 went on to gross a billion as well. A bunch of people are gonna watch this show, and the company has way more faith in Whedon now.
Mrsinister
Mrsinister - 6/29/2013, 12:57 PM
@dudeguyman you have no idea what you're talking about. Joss had Buffy and angel. Buffy had 8 seasons and angel had 4 or 5. Tv has been great to him.
Mrsinister
Mrsinister - 6/29/2013, 1:01 PM
A show based on xmen but no major characters and also no singer. Bring in a whole new set of producers.
jessepostal
jessepostal - 6/29/2013, 2:35 PM
@dio, me too Holmes, she gets hotter as she got older
Optimus83
Optimus83 - 6/29/2013, 2:50 PM
Phil Coulson back for The Avengers 2. ...¡¡¡NOW!!!
nach1wan
nach1wan - 6/29/2013, 3:00 PM
while all of whedon's tv shows were eventually cancelled, i really dont think the same will happen to a marvel series profiting from the avengers success.

whedon was considered a loser by many uneducated not long ago, now he's almost a god... that counts too
sameoldthing
sameoldthing - 6/29/2013, 3:08 PM
Please limit any comedy elements.
Some light hearted moments is fine but making too jokey will suck.
rocky
rocky - 6/29/2013, 4:09 PM
Ming-Na Wen mmm mmm good
SnapperCarr
SnapperCarr - 6/29/2013, 5:09 PM
They need to have street-levelers like Punisher and Daredevil show up.
siggisuperman
siggisuperman - 6/29/2013, 5:23 PM
Well I don't care what folks say I think Dollhouse is a brilliant show and with the same creative team SHIELD will be awesome
ruadh
ruadh - 6/29/2013, 8:54 PM
"22 episodes in one season = half of them are filler."

That's a seriously ill-informed generalization. So if they get an order for a second season, will that also be filler? When the order is put in for the full 22, it will be before the last half of the 13 are even written, so the season is still planned out as a whole.

Also, just because you don't like an episode, doesn't make it filler. The Hurley episodes were still a major part of the overall Lost mythos.
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