Daredevil, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Strengthening the MCU

Daredevil, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Strengthening the MCU

Marvel made the right moves with Daredevil, but still needs to give Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. its proper due in the MCU.

Editorial Opinion
By theoriginalbdub - Apr 14, 2015 03:04 PM EST
Filed Under: Daredevil
Before I delve into the substance of this opinion piece, it's important to provide a layer of honesty.  I grew up reading comic books, particularly Spider-Man (which I got in the mail every month) and X-Men, but I would not have considered myself a "fanboy" or expert in comic book lore then, and the same holds true today, although I do now know quite a bit of lore (or more than enough to get by, I suppose).  I am an avid fan of the Marvel movies and I deeply enjoy the cinematic universe they have created.  That being said, this article, and most of my opinions about the MCU, need to be viewed through a cinematic lens and not a comic book lens, as there is a distinct different between the two.  Subsequently, the following is an interpretation of how Daredevil and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fit into the MCU, with an analysis of Daredevil and a suggestions for giving AoS the relevance it deserves.

Daredevil: A Much Needed Break from the Fantastic

I was excited for the release of Daredevil and I watched the entire series in one day.  I didn't intend to do that, but I was so taken by the show that I couldn't stop myself.  When I finished and took in everything I had seen, I was incredibly impressed.  Daredevil was a win from top to bottom.  The writing and directing were superb and the actors and actresses were just right.  The greatest accomplishment of the show in my opinion, though, was how little it tried to showcase it's role in the MCU.  It was made clear early on that Daredevil was going to be a "stand alone" type of series, but I was pleasantly surprised at just how true that declaration was.  To my knowledge, and I am certainly open to being corrected on this, the word "alien" was not used one time in the entire series.  The invasion of New York was alluded to, of course, but it was never explicitly stated that aliens invaded Earth and destroyed a large swath of New York City.  That was a huge omission, and one that I have continued to applaud.  Daredevil didn't need to reference aliens or superheroes or S.H.I.E.L.D. for this show to be relevant.  It just needed to tell a compelling story and give justice to the characters used to tell it.

In the same vein as not mentioning aliens, there was also very little mention of the established MCU superheroes.  I believe Foggy name dropped Captain America, but other than Wesley's passing remark about a "suit of armor and a magic hammer," the big guns were left alone, which was also a huge plus for the show.  As fans of the MCU, we are already very much aware of who everybody is and where things have happened throughout the world.  What has not been discussed, until now, however, is the imprint left by the superheroes and supervillains at the micro level.  I thought Daredevil did a masterful job at describing what happens when the fight is over.  The good guys may have won, but at what cost?  Typically, that question is never answered.  In all of the MCU films, the aftermath of the destruction and the impact it has on the people and their communities was never addressed.  Until now.  Kudos to Daredevil for casting a light on the dark side of the superhero moon.  There is a cost to victory and it is passed onto the regular people who don't get to ride into the sunset on their super powered pedestal.  Also, sometimes those who pick up the tab are not those who should be doing it.  Enter Wilson Fisk.  What a fantastic character and the best villain in the MCU not named Loki.  I thought the portrayal of him by the Daredevil team was exactly what was needed.  Fisk is certainly profiting off of the rebuilding of Hell's Kitchen, but he's not doing it merely for the sake of profiting.  He's not trying to blindly grab power and fortune just because he is a "bad guy".  He has a genuine, vested interest in his neighborhood, but his methods lend himself to villainy.  His intentions do not make him a villain--his methods do, and that was the perfect way to portray Wilson Fisk.

I could continue to applaud the way Daredevil was incorporated into the MCU, but let's turn our attention, instead, on how AoS should be incorporated.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Give the Team Relevance or Get Rid of Them

For all of the brilliance of Daredevil, Marvel's second foray into television, AoS, it's first foray, has been, bluntly, a huge dud.  From the start, AoS was never given a proper foundation and I'm not even entirely sure Marvel knew what to do with it once it was created.  Marvel always prides themselves on their foresight, but AoS has never been properly handled.  Initially, the show attempted to be a stand alone series, providing insight into the operations of S.H.I.E.L.D. when they weren't playing second fiddle to a "suit of armor and a magic hammer".  It stumbled at doing that, instead giving us cheesy writing and a computer nerd with a name that parents who try to be cool give their children, complete with an even cooler spelling.  It was silly, boring, and wasted the talents of a fan-favorite actor.  Admittedly, it did gain its footing down the road, but it was too little too late, in my opinion, and it has been riding on the coattails of the MCU ever since.  My suggestion: give AoS proper relevance within the MCU or cancel it.

The biggest missed opportunity of AoS has been how related-but-unrelated it has been with the rest of MCU.  Really, the show has just been one giant fanboy to the greater universe.  They mention Captain America or Iron Man like a person who once met them at a party and talked to them for a few minutes and now consider them lifelong friends.  It's so hokey at times, but it never had to be.  I understand that Agent Coulson was/is supposed to be dead and that would be a huge reveal if the Avengers found this out, but how long can that charade play out?  AoS should have used that plot point to their advantage during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but left it on the table.  That brings me to another point: with all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets being leaked by Black Widow in TWS, how did the fact that Coulson was still alive somehow not get revealed?  I think Marvel could have capitalized on that element of TWS by making that one of the secrets that gets revealed to Captain America in the aftermath of the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Instead, Coulson and his team continue to jet set around the world and the Avengers have absolutely no clue; not even Black Widow, who is as close to Nick Fury as Coulson is.  It just doesn't do AoS any justice and it waters down the value Coulson had to the Avengers, both tactically and emotionally.

Additionally, where has Coulson been in the MCU films?  He had key roles in all of the films up to The Avengers, then he vanished.  Again, I understand that he is supposed to be dead, but the missed opportunity I mentioned above could have played out in some fashion in Iron Man 3 or TWS, which is ideally where it should have been included.  In the back of my mind, I am holding out some useless hope that Coulson and the AoS team get a reference in Age of Ultron.  From what I have gathered from this wonderful website and the trailers, the Avengers are rooting out Hydra strongholds.  Whether it happens or not (it won't), that element of AoU is the perfect way to give relevance to AoS.  Coulson and his team could provide support and intel to the Avengers and while Captain America and the team go after the big dogs on the big screen, Coulson and his team could continue to take out the fringe elements on TV.  The AoS team would need to be given less than a minute of film time to provide the intel to the Avengers, but that would be a huge boost of relevancy to the team and to the place of the show in the greater MCU, something that has been lacking post-The Avengers.  Whether or not that happens (again, it won't) remains to be seen.  But it needs to happen.

It's been a while since I have posted anything, so I had a lot to say.  Apologies for the length of this article and also for the lack of images to break it up.  None of the images I tried to upload would show up in the images list, for whatever reason (they were the correct size, too).  Nonetheless, share your thoughts with me below.  All opinions are always welcome.
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01928401
01928401 - 4/14/2015, 4:43 PM
@Gliderman
With the exception of maybe AKAJJ, the picture is in chronological order from left to right.

@theoriginalbdub
Great article, man. I agree with all of your points. Especially those about AOS. I keep hearing all these things about how good it's turning out and the things it's introducing. If they did that from the get-go, I might be one of those few. Instead, I hear random spoutings about "Quake" and Coulson and it does nothing for me. I couldn't care less because the first episodes of the show were just simply not compelling.
01928401
01928401 - 4/14/2015, 5:00 PM
@Gliderman
Sorry, I was thinking in order of release.
sikwon
sikwon - 4/14/2015, 7:26 PM
I haven't finished but... HALF OF THE PLOT WAS A RESULT OF THE INVASION. I'm not screaming but the invasion played a huge role in this show. Karen's entire plot thread and Bens investigation as well as Fisk's
sikwon
sikwon - 4/14/2015, 7:28 PM
Urban renewal project was based off it. They were funneling funds that were meant to rebuild after the attack. This was talked about several times. We even got a death toll as a result of the invasion for the 1st time... "hundreds", it was on the cover of the paper framed in Bens office. It was subtle but it was HEAVILY referenced.
sikwon
sikwon - 4/14/2015, 7:36 PM
I can't defend AoS anymore. If by now people don't appreciate what this show is doing then there's nothing I can say. Skye vibrated a mountain, Raina sa the future, May killed a kid, Deathlock is on mission, the 1st real rumblings of anti hero sentiment are taking hold and Inhumans have a thriving society on Earth. Dude there's alot going on and it's not cheesy. Daredevil was excellent but AoS is not half bad.
MarvelousAgentX
MarvelousAgentX - 4/14/2015, 7:55 PM
What complete crap article. Daredevil is a good series, no doubt.
Behind Ulrich there is a newspaper about the "Battle of New York". Foggy and matt could afford the office because of the events in New York. How about Foggy referring to death and destruction raining from the sky.

You sir are a dumb ass.
WYLEEJAY
WYLEEJAY - 4/14/2015, 9:37 PM
Sorry I stopped reading once you started to state your opinions as facts. I was enjoying it at the beginning. I agree with a couple of the things at the beginning. Except the Aliens. They showed Urich holding a picture in his office and it had one of the Leviathons on it. A lot of this show has to do with what happened in Avengers. Your right though. They did do a good job with not throwing too much at us with references though. But once you got to SHIELD and called it a dud you lost me. Great show. Every great show still has several bad episodes. Daredevil episode 10 was dull. Only episode I didn't really enjoy.
sikwon
sikwon - 4/15/2015, 6:15 AM
@Gliderman... me to. There's literally no way they can't atleast somewhat address the street level guys. Especially with DD playing a huge role in the CW story and the show/character being so well regarded right now. We will see DD (probably the whole Defenders team in some way) and atleast Quake and Colson and maybe (just maybe) Mockingbird In the movies.
theoriginalbdub
theoriginalbdub - 4/15/2015, 8:57 AM
To be clear, I do watch AoS every week, but not really because I find it truly compelling, but because I kind of feel like I have to watch it. As I said in my article, I enjoy the MCU and because of that, I want to stay on top of all of the different elements of it. But that doesn't mean I worship all things Marvel. AoS has certainly gotten better and a lot of that has to do with attaching it more to what happens in the movies, but this show is nothing spectacular. It's an average show that got renewed for a second season because it's shot in-house and it's Disney's little baby. It wasn't renewed because it's ratings were through the roof. This show barely gets 4-5 million viewers a week. Do a hypothetical conversion to the box office and a two-hour show with that many viewers, at $10 a ticket, would only generate a maximum of $50 million. That's a very weak analogy, of course, but think of the budget involved with this show. Lots of money being tossed into a project that is little better than Iron Man 2 at it's best. Maybe.

A lot of people like to rush to defend AoS because it is watchable (not good) NOW, and because it is a Marvel project and that means it HAS to be gold, but I don't look at the show in that way. I see a show that had a huge opening week, but then started bleeding viewers because the main character of the show was a terribly conceived computer hacker and they couldn't create stories that made people want to come back and watch them. When they finally realized they needed to retool the show, they backhandedly shoehorned it into TWS plot and essentially retconned Skye's story and turned her into an Inhuman so they could save face. I agree with some of the commenters that it has some relevance now, especially since they are going after HYDRA and they have the Inhumans thing happening, but the MCU could drop AoS and not one thing would change. The show is inconsequential. Always has been. I wish Marvel would have given the show a better chance by tossing in a name drop in the movies, especially TWS, just to let the audience know that THEY know that Coulson's team is relevant in the ENTIRE universe, not just on TV as team of fanboys that mention that one time one of them saw Iron Man from way back and maybe he waved at them.

Real quick, to clarify my "aliens" comment in my article, I am obviously aware that the entire reason the characters in Daredevil become who they are is because of the destruction of Hell's Kitchen caused by aliens. I am also aware of the framed articles in Ulrich's office. I am further aware that the characters refer to the destruction of the city often. My point, though, was that they didn't keep saying "alien invasion" over and over and over. The tone of the show was supposed to be gritty, pseudo-realistic, and grounded at the street level. That was achieved, in part, because they kept superpowers or laser guns or anything overtly science-fiction from being mentioned or used. That was the intent of the show from the start according to the creators, not to me. The most science-fictiony element of the show was Daredevil's heightened senses, which they never fully explained. They gave a "world on fire" comment and some passing mentions of how it just happens because it happens, but that was it. I loved that that was how the creators chose to go in the direction of his gifts. They never said he had superpowers, just that he had heightened senses and he's had them since the accident. Brilliant.

I appreciate all the conversation this article has generated and I honestly mean that. I like seeing all of the viewpoints people have and I am glad that Marvel has created a universe, for better or worse, that allows people to talk about so many things. Just make sure you all keep it classy.
RynerLute
RynerLute - 4/15/2015, 10:04 AM
SoulOFWakanda hit the nail on the head.

You on the other hand seem to be watching a show you don't like very much. Which is pretty hilarious when you think about it.
theoriginalbdub
theoriginalbdub - 4/15/2015, 10:38 AM
@SoulofWakanda I agree with you. There is so much going on and the show performs better when they have one narrative and explore it. I think Marvel is trying to use variety to their advantage with AoS, but it just ends up being messy most of the time.

@RynerLute I wouldn't say I dislike AoS, I just wish it was so much better than it is. Marvel created this entire universe, a universe I like and I am impressed with, but AoS seems like the odd man out. I keep watching, like I said, because I don't want to miss out on that aspect of the MCU, but it's not destination viewing for me. I don't think AoS is a bad show anymore, it's just not anything creative or spectacular. It's really a series of Marvel One-Shots spread out over two seasons and just like those One-Shots, it gives you a cutesy little story with people you are familiar with, but doesn't really add anything of substance to the greater MCU. As much as Marvel has invested in AoS, especially financially, it would have been nice to have said AoS made a mark on the MCU. Unfortunately, it hasn't. Marvel would have been better served releasing AoS on a limited scale, like Agent Carter, or as webisodes or actual One-Shots.
WYLEEJAY
WYLEEJAY - 4/15/2015, 1:13 PM
I do agree with you on the format of AoS. It shouldn't be 22 episodes long. That's too much and they are forced to fill that with episodes that you would consider filler. From season 1 with the WS tie in all the way up to the episode before Cals Super villains showed up, the show just kept getting better and better. Then it slowed a bit. I really enjoyed last night's episode though. That's just my opinion I understand.

And the show gets great ratings man. Sorry but it does. You sound like Wilding used to. The DVR numbers jump it up quite a bit. I'm not blind though. As much as I like the show, I think it should end after this season or the next so they can focus on the next step. Secret Warriors or something to further develop Quake and some new characters. I don't want them to go too far with their Inhumans tales, and force the Inhumans movie to retcon anything they decide to change later on with that film.
sKeemAn
sKeemAn - 4/15/2015, 2:17 PM
I agree with everything @soulofwakanda said.

Your article is a nice read.
MarvelousAgentX
MarvelousAgentX - 4/15/2015, 5:17 PM
@theoriginalbdub

So much rubbish. The show has a lot of threads and those threads may take different paths but they all lead to the same destination and that is just a fact. The alleged filler episodes from series 1 left tracks all over, that came together at the end to push the story. Series 2 is doing the same thing but the viewer has to be able to follow the threads and it appears that some cannot.

I understand this generation. It is the generation of First Person twitch Shooters and action junkies, god forbid there is conversation going on. The character development you want is to see who is the bigger badass, and you can't stand it when there is no fighting, shooting and things going BOOM.

Marvel built a new set of characters and added them to an existing world but gave them their own part of the world. They have slowly integrated the new characters into the existing world and now, the true fans, care about these characters. We are interested in their back stories, their lives and their futures. SHIELD has been good from the beginning and has only gotten better and better, but it will never be for everyone, accept that it is not for you and let it be.
theoriginalbdub
theoriginalbdub - 4/16/2015, 10:43 AM
@MarvelousAgentX I ignored your first comment because I thought a tweenie might have accidentally gotten a hold of your keyboard while you were pausing the scene from AoS a couple of episodes ago when Skye was naked on that table, but it appears that it was, in reality, an "adult" who was attempting to make sentences out of letters. Good for you, mate!

Actually, I am not a part of "this generation" at all. I don't play "First Person twitch Shooters" (Was your hand otherwise occupied because you were fantasizing over cosplay photos so that you weren't able to figure out how the caps lock works?). Not that any of that matters, but I just thought I would clarify that for you.

To address another point, I am fully able to "follow the threads," I just find that there are way too many threads in AoS than necessary. A lot of people agree with me. Some do not. Such is life.

Additionally, I find compelling stories and characters more essential to the tone of a film/TV show than "fighting, shooting, and things going BOOM". I actually wrote an article about a year ago discussing how ridiculous all of the destruction was in Man of Steel. That movie, and the DCCU, is a conversation for another time, but it is pretty clear that I do not need "things going BOOM" to garner my respect or my attention.

Also, I have admitted that AoS has found its footing a little since TWS tie-in, but still, it is lacking and needs to be further improved or canceled. The "character development" I want is to have Agent Coulson be more than a fanboy who makes dad jokes every episode. He used to mean so much more to the MCU when he was given so much less screen time. Now, his character and relevance in the MCU have been diluted. He's been reduced to a third-tier Indiana Jones relic hunter with a Close Encounters of the Third Kind infatuation complex. The additions of Bobbi Morse and her team have been a breath of fresh air to the series, but now that they're a part of the "REAAALL S.H.I.E.L.D." (to quote @SoulofWakanda, who gave me a good laugh with that--kudos to you for that perfect bit of sarcasm), it's just another thread to add to the dozens of threads that already exist and are just hanging off of the unfinished product.

In the future, my one-handed little rapscallion, try and be a tad more tactful when offering your opinions to somebody. I certainly welcome all opinions, because the point of creating an editorial piece is to posit your opinions and generate discussion. I feel I have achieved in that regard. You, on the other hand, have only achieved in displaying your grasp of elementary school language and matching thought processes. I wish you the best of luck in your cosplay Google search endeavors, my friend.
CaptainAmerica31
CaptainAmerica31 - 4/16/2015, 12:18 PM
Agree. One of the things I loved about the show was how it stood alone and didn't shove the fact that it was connected to a universe down our throats
MuttonMan
MuttonMan - 4/17/2015, 3:36 AM
I will start by saying that I watch AOS every week, but like another poster said, because I feel like I have to.

The show is much more watchable since they dropped the "relic/villian-of-the-week" style narrative, but my biggest problem is that I have been incredibly spoiled by television lately with Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Daredevil. Even though these are episodic television shows, they "feel" like movies while AOS "feels" like a network television show. Between the mediocre writing and obvious low budget, it just screams TV drama. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's on ABC and its run by the same type of people that run NCIS or Grimm.

The story lines are there and could be solid with improved show runners, directors, and writers. I've been saying since the end of last season that AOS needs to be on HBO, AMC, or, more recently, Netflix. Only then do I think AOS could be good, if not great.

Get AOS off network TV!
TheKandorian
TheKandorian - 4/17/2015, 7:53 AM
@muttonman While everyone's thoughts about a show are valid—whether you love it or hate it or feel 'like you have to watch it', I think it's a really low blow to say that the showrunners, directors and writers need to be replaced. You really don't know what actual decisions those people are making or what plans they actually have for the show as individuals.

It's like if someone came in to your job and they didn't happen to like the product you were producing, and were like, "Okay, everybody needs to be improved. You, you and you. Out." You included—without actually getting an understanding of what anyone did, or why decisions were being made.

God forbid a network TV drama look and feel like—gasp!—a network TV drama. Why should a show that was produced for network TV be removed from network TV because it doesn't fit a standard that you deem as the only valid one? It's kind of presumptuous to be saying that they have an "obviously low budget" when you don't actually know how ABC Studios and Marvel are financing the show.
Futers11
Futers11 - 4/17/2015, 4:01 PM
So daredevil was good Cuz it was less connected but AOS is worse Cuz it also isn't enough? Make your mind up
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