Joss Whedon Creating \'S.H.I.E.L.D.\' Pilot for ABC

By DAVE ITZKOFF

The recent announcement that the “Avengers” director and screenwriter Joss Whedon would be developing a television pilot as part of a larger deal with Marvel Studios (under which he's also handling an “Avengers” sequel) set off ripples of speculation: would Mr. Whedon focus on the better-known characters of the Marvel pantheon, home to heroes like Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, or aim for the more obscure reaches of its comic-book universe? Sorry, fans of Brother Voodoo and Ego the Living Planet, but today is not your day.

Instead, Mr. Whedon, the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” is working on turf more familiar to “Avengers” viewers and preparing a series based on S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel Comics espionage agency run by Nick Fury. The Hollywood Reporter said that ABC has ordered a pilot of “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” which Mr. Whedon will write with his brother Jed Whedon, and Jed's wife, Maurissa Tancharoe n, his collaborators on the online musical “Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.” If his schedule permits, Joss Whedon may also direct the pilot episode about the shadowy paramilitary organization that recruits the disparate members of the Avengers to work together in a group, and which somehow maintains its covert status while operating from a giant flying aircraft carrier.

Variety reported that Mr. Whedon said the “S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot would be “autonomous” from the “Avengers” sequel, planned for a May 2015 release. It was unclear if “Avengers” cast members like Samuel L. Jackson (who plays Nick Fury in the Marvel movies), Cobie Smulders and Clark Gregg would be involved. But Mr. Gregg appeared to rule out the return of his character, Agent Phil Coulson, writing on his Twitter account: “The Walking Dead Coulson?”