“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”: Welcome to Level Seven

Gavin  Gronenthal ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff

Just a few days ago, ABC released the trailer for the new Agents of Shield television show, which is spinning out of the wildly successful film The Avengers. Starring the now “back from the dead” Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), the Joss Whedon directed pilot will hit your television sets this fall season. So, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming show by breaking down the latest trailer.

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After a monologue that describes how much the world changed from the arrival of superheroes, we’re briefly taken through what is possibly an interview with Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton, pictured above). He says he has level six clearance as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, (which we assume is high clearance) and is then granted level seven by the now alive and well Agent Phil Coulson as he walks through the door. What you may or may not pick up on in this scene, however, is the Agent asking Ward the questions is undoubtedly the voice of Cobie Smulders, better known in the Marvel world as the actress who plays Maria Hill. It was already stated that she would not be a part of the main cast due to her commitment to CBS’s How I Met Your Mother, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a recurring role was in order for Ms. Hill.

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Following that, Coulson explains to the new level seven Agent Ward that they work cases that “haven’t been classified,” which would most likely be referring to the arrival of plenty of new superheroes in the world.

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And the superhero in question? Well, he’s portrayed by none other than J. August Richards, better known as Gunn from Joss Whedon’s previous series Angel. While there hasn’t been much said on who Richards will be playing, there are a few theories sprouting all over the internet. The most popular one was Luke Cage, the first African American superhero to have his own book. However, executive producer Jefferey Bell recently debunked that rumor, which is honestly more promising for Cage’s film appearance. The other, more popular, rumor is that he plays, Rage, a notable member of the New Warriors. The final big theory is that he’s a completely new character, made specifically for the show as all of the other main characters are.  But here’s something I noticed in two separate parts of the trailer:

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Here, Agent Jenna Simmons (Elizabeth Hestridge), the teams “bio-chem” expert, holds up a piece of technology from what is clearly wreckage, stating “it’s not of this earth.” Later:

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We see what looks like the intact version of what Simmons is holding. If this is in fact the source of Richards’s characters powers, then it could mean he’s directly linked to the cosmic Marvel world, and therefore so is the show. With Guardians of the Galaxy arriving next summer, and Avengers 2 in production as we speak, I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s the case. My secret wish, however? That the technology is somehow Kree technology, one of the more dominant alien species in Marvel. If that’s the case, then maybe Richards in the cinematic universe version of Captain Mar-vell, the Kree superhero who defects to earth. Now that would be interesting.

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One of the last pieces of the puzzle is Skye, portrayed by Chloe Bennet and see above with Agents Coulson and Ward. Skye appears earlier to warn J. August Richards about S.H.I.E.L.D and is later abducted by Coulson and Ward and interrogated. It would appear she runs some sort of viral site that captures images of super-powered occurrences as well as S.H.I.E.L.D activity, and the agency has taken an interest. Perhaps she’s arrived as a viral consultant? We’ll have to wait and see.

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The most important part of the trailer, however, is obviously Lola. Coulson’s car is a very Whedon-esque joke, and Clack Gregg delivers the line perfectly. Don’t touch Lola. Welcome back to television, Joss Whedon.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is coming to ABC this fall, Tuesdays at 8:00pm EST, starring Clack Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Chloe Bennet.

Watch the trailer for Marvel’s Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D here:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3T-evQZiQo&w=560&h=315]
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