“Avengers: Endgame” is the biggest thing ever in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie has hauled in more than $2 billion worldwide in 11 days, and could surpass “Avatar” as the biggest-grossing movie ever.
(Not adjusted for inflation, that is.)
So it would only make sense for the television side of Marvel to capitalize on that. And, given the cataclysmic events in “Endgame” — no spoilers here — there would absolutely have to be reverberations that affect “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” right?
Wrong. The two realities, which were completely tied after the release of “Captain America: Winter Soldier” in 2014, are now completely severed.
In Friday’s Season 6 premiere (7 p.m., ABC/Channel 4), there is not even a passing reference to what happens in “Endgame.” And, according to the producers, none are coming.
Which, weirdly enough, makes sense. Not Marvel sense, but real-world sense.
The Season 5 finale of “S.H.I.E.L.D.” aired almost exactly a year ago. When production on Season 6 began in July 2018, the TV writers didn't know how the movie writers were going to resolve events in “Infinity War,” when Thanos eliminated half of all living things. So that momentous event never occurred in the “S.H.I.E.L.D.” reality.
There’s a theory floating around that, because there was time travel in Season 5, “S.H.I.E.L.D.” has created its own, separate timeline. But the producers have not confirmed that, and I don’t even want to go there.
The TV series returns on Friday with a pair of seemingly unrelated storylines. Half the team — led by Daisy/Quake (Chloe Bennet) and Jemma (Elizabeth Henstridge) — is in outer space, searching for the missing Fitz (Iain De Caestecker).
The other half of the team, led by new S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Mack (Henry Simmons) and Melinda (Ming-Na Wen), is dealing with a new threat back on Earth.
The Big News, which isn’t a spoiler because it’s been released by Marvel and ABC, is that former S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is dead. However, Gregg is still on the show playing ... somebody.
He really does seem to be playing a different character. But I’m not convinced that Coulson is dead for good because, well, he’s been dead before and it didn’t stick. And this is a sci-fi show. But we’ll see. (That’s not a spoiler. I’m speculating.)
Honestly, had “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” gotten the ax last year, I wouldn’t have mourned. Season 5 was an improvement on Seasons 2-4, but this has never been the show it should have been. For long stretches, it’s been mediocre to bad.
I’m actually somewhat bullish on this 13-episode season, because the writers have always struggled to produce compelling 22-episode seasons. Maybe they’ll do better with 40 percent less time to fill.
If an abbreviated, 13-episode sixth season that was delayed until summer sounds like this is the end for “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” it’s not. ABC has already ordered a seventh season that’s penciled in for the summer of 2020.
By the way, here’s the reality behind that. If the weak ratings on ABC had been the only factor, “S.H.I.E.L.D.” almost certainly have been canceled last year. But the show sells well internationally, giving Marvel/ABC/Disney a reason to keep it going. And airing it during the summer will mitigate ratings damage to ABC.
Good news if you’re already a fan. And if you’re not ... well, I can’t imagine you’re going to suddenly get interested in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
