Joss Whedon Speaks Out On Marvel Universe, New S.H.I.E.L.D Series
Joss Whedon is a man that deserves all his success. A man dedicated to his ideas and his die-hard fans, Whedon began his career in television, bringing audiences such cult classics as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Dollhouse” and “Firefly”. And when he was enlisted to bring Marvel fans what would become the biggest superhero movie of the decade, he did not disappoint.
After months of speculation, we finally got word earlier this week that the top secret television series Marvel and Whedon have been working on will be based on S.H.I.E.L.D, the backbone of Marvel’s universe. And the excitement to see how Whedon would bring such a world to his favorite medium is almost unbearable.
Whedon spoke to EW.com about the joining, saying he can’t wait to let audiences see what he has in store:
“The S.H.I.E.L.D. show kind of dropped in my lap, and I love working in TV…I get to really build a show with people I really trust and love. What we’re building is entirely autonomous from The Avengers. It’s gotta be a show that works for people who haven’t seen the Marvel movies. It will please Marvel fans, I think.”
On a separate note, Vulture has a new interview with Whedon discussing anything and everything concerning the Marvel universe and what will be in store for us over the next three years. Take a look at a few excerpts below, and get ready for the Marvel’s Phase Two…
On why the framing device of Maria Hill reporting to The Council was cut: Two factors. One: The movie was three hours long. Two: Audiences didn’t respond to it as well in the movie as I think they would as a DVD extra. Most of them didn’t know who this character was or what the context was, and they were like, Uhhh, I don’t know why I’m supposed to be personally involved in this character I don’t know. The rollout to the Avengers getting to Loki was so gradual that people were getting restless. I thought Cobie nailed it, and the reason I thought it was necessary is because I was trying to make a war movie and I wanted to give context that something bad had happened in the past. In a war movie, you don’t know who’s going to live or die, but you do know that this war happened and that [the characters] are going to be in a dire circumstance, and I wanted to create that atmosphere. I was able to get what I needed without doing that. It was tough. I hated cutting it.
On why he decided to inundate himself in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe for the next three years: 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.
It is unbelievably daunting, especially because I don’t want to lose sight of all the other things I have on my docket and in my heart. 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. It’s not like, “You must spend this amount of time on this movie.” It’s as much as it needs to be.
On how it feels to be co-writing/directing the pilot for a show that “won’t air Friday night”: The important thing to me is that we know what the show is. We love what it is. It came together very organically, so when we went in to pitch [to Marvel], it wasn’t like, We’re trying to find this because you want a TV show, it was, Check this out. And that’s a good way to walk in a room. Good support is wonderful, but it’s not a hill of beans, because they may give us all this support and then decide, “Eh. Yeah, it’s Friday.” They might give us all the support and then not do that, but then audiences might go, “Yeahhh … no.” You just can’t be sure. What I do know is that it’s the show it should be, and we’ve got some really dope notions. It’s going to work very well for people who either love the Marvel universe or for people who’ve never dipped a toe in the Marvel universe.
And in a final word that is either humble or damning depending on your opinion of Whedone and the movie: I don’t think it’s a perfect movie. I don’t even think it’s a great movie. I think it’s a great time, and I’m proud of it, but for me, what was exciting is that people don’t go to see a movie that many times unless it’s pulling on something from within, unless there’s a need there. That’s very gratifying.