The Geek Culture universe rejoiced earlier this week when ABC officially ordered a pilot for a SHIELD television series set in the same universe as The Avengers. The news followed hot on the heels of the announcement that Marvel Studios locked up the services of Joss Whedon for three years — a contract that will allow him to write and direct Avengers 2, and provide creative direction for the rest of Marvel Studios’ projects like the Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians 0f the Galaxy, and the aforementioned SHIELD TV show. Joss recently sat down with Vulture and discussed this recent news:
“I loved the idea of being a consigliere. Every writer loves the idea of being able to go in and fix a problem and then leave without obligation. It’s fun! I also love these characters and the Marvel universe, and I grew up reading the books, and I’ve been going back and reading the old books and realizing that they shaped my storytelling way more than I give them credit for. Now I’m starting up a TV show, which is something I really wanted to do, but I thought it wasn’t going to be a part of my life for the next several years. It’s like a tapas menus of projects that excite me, in addition to the Avengers sequel, which I’m excited for because I’m incredibly excited about the next story that I’m going to tell. For me, it’s a huge win
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So, it’s going to be an insane few years, but I feel ready for that. It’s an unholy amount of productivity, but as long as I give it all I can, it’s a good thing. What’s great is that the deal with Marvel is nonspecific, so I will give all I can, but the moment I can’t, I just walk away. The moment I say, ‘You know, I’d like to help more on this project, but I need this time for The Avengers,’ there’s no obligation.”
Regardless of what happens with the SHIELD television show, we geeks should feel very lucky to have Joss locked up for the next three years, keeping a watchful eye over the Marvel Universe. It’s not talked about a whole lot, but his “script doctoring” service on Captain America: The First Avenger injected the film with the heart that it desperately lacked and rescued it from potential disaster. His input is going to be important on Cap’s sequel The Winter Soldier, but it will be invaluable for a film like Guardians of the Galaxy - a very ambitious but tricky concept that’s going to require some truly dynamic writing in order to make the audience accept and embrace a crazy, space-based team that includes a Raccoon wearing a jetpack.
By the way, my favorite quote from this interview — and the kind of thing that makes me love the guy so much – occurs at the beginning of the interview when Joss is asked if it’s sunk in that just about every person on Earth has seen his movie:
“It never really has, but when it does, I’m going to become such an enormous dick. [Laughs.] I’m going to have a personal dog polisher and the biggest posse ever. I’m going to be insufferable — well, I mean more insufferable than I already am…”
About the Author
Jeff Carter
Jeff is the defining voice of his generation. Sadly, that generation exists only in an alternate dimension where George Lucas became supreme overlord of the Earth in 1979 and replaced every television broadcast and theatrical film on the planet with Star Wars and Godzilla movies. In this dimension, he’s just a guy from New England who likes writing snarky things about superheroes, monsters, and robots.
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