This MCU Series Is the Best Place to Start If You’re a Marvel Skeptic

It’s no secret that the MCU has struggled to produce hits in recent years (though Deadpool & Wolverine crossing $1 billion at the global box office arguably proves that there’s still an appetite yet for Marvel blockbusters). Some criticisms that have been lobbed at the franchise include its over-reliance on formulas/lack of risk-taking, two-dimensional female characters, and being so oversaturated with content that it’s inaccessible to the average viewer now.

As fair as many of these criticisms are, they don’t apply across the board. Each project is written and produced by a different team, so the results are as variable as any other movie or TV show.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Challenges All of These Criticisms

The series that even the most arms-crossed, eyebrow-raised Marvel skeptic might enjoy is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is about a spy organization comprised of ordinary people tasked with protecting citizens from supernatural or superhero interference. It ran from 2013 to 2020 and was intended to be canon for much of that time — meaning that, even though it does its own thing, it was also influenced by all the main events occurring in that phase of Marvel movies (Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and more). So, it’s perfect for the Marvel-illiterate because you can get caught up to speed with the essentials of the franchise just by watching one TV show.

It also addresses the other two primary concerns people traditionally have about Marvel: poorly written female characters and poor writing at large. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s showrunners are Jeffrey Bell, whose writing credits include The X-Files and Angel, and husband-and-wife duo Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, who both worked on Spartacus and Dollhouse. So, all have a history of working on acclaimed action and/or sci-fi series entirely outside the realm of Marvel and brought that experience to S.H.I.E.L.D. Also, the fact that Tancharoen, a woman of color, was at the top provided a safety net regarding the writing of female characters and the atmosphere on set, a point which the actors made in the Women of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable for their 100th episode.

How Someone With Five Minutes of MCU Screen Time Got His Own TV Show

When Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) appeared in Iron Man, he became an instant fan favorite despite barely having any lines. Yes, Clark Gregg played him with all the charisma of Tony Stark and none of the ego. Yes, Clark Gregg permanently has an impish twinkle in his eye that lets the audience know he’s in on the bit. More than those things, though, he understood the assignment: he represented the fandom. Coulson was a real person amidst a crazy superhero world.

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He appeared in future sequels until he was ultimately killed by Loki in The Avengers… or was he? Coulson’s death rocked the fandom so much that they started a movement called “Coulson Lives.” This movement got the phrase trending on Twitter; they gathered at conventions, marched, you name it. So, when it came time for execs to decide on the subject for the first Marvel TV show, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the fans played a huge role.

Why Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Is So Beloved

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has the wonderful Phil Coulson at the helm, but it also has an equally lovable and dynamic ensemble: Skye/if you know, you know (Chloe Bennet), May (Ming-Na Wen), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), and so many more that have come and gone over the years, but Mack (Henry Simmons) and Elena “Yo-Yo” (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) perhaps lasting the longest.

Rather than traditional bureaucratic organizations bogged down by protocol, power trippers, and an impersonal touch, Coulson treats every person they encounter — even the villains — as someone worthy of compassion. He is also vehemently against traditional guns, something core to the show’s identity from the very beginning. In Season 1, he has Agents Fitz and Simmons, colloquially known as Fitz-Simmons due to how inseparable they are, invent the ICER. This is a first-of-its-kind tranquilizer gun that is the field team’s weapon of choice for the duration of the show.

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The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters are given more than just cookie-cutter storylines; they’re given meaty plots to work with. Their characterizations are consistent throughout, while also developing organically as the years go on, and they endure more and more. Their relationships with each other are more like a family than like co-workers, which is ordinarily kind of toxic and boundary-less, but in this case, it is impossible to avoid since they are effectively live-in front-line workers.

In fact, family is one of the themes in the show, with the character Skye going through one of the biggest journeys in this regard. She comes into the fold as an orphan, not knowing who her parents were, if she had any siblings, etc. She develops a more nuanced understanding of what family means to her and, thus, who she views as her family. Later, when she ends up meeting a long-lost relative, it’s more of an expansion of her worldview than the little bit of hope she has to cling to.

Many fans were devastated when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended, despite the fact that it got to do so after seven long seasons on its terms. Well, those fans may be relieved to know that Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum all but confirmed an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. revival recently, expressing his love for the series overall. Until then, you can stream Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Disney+.