The way things are shaping up, Disney is looking like they will have their fingers in the pie of two the biggest franchises on the planet for the foreseeable future. Of course, there is "Star Wars" which is now gearing up to be a major property for the studio, and then there's Marvel, whose record smashing "The Avengers" proved the brand's global viability on a scale no one could have predicted. And while we wait for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to return (or whatever), Marvel is continuing to branch out, hoping they can find the same success on the small screen.
The "S.H.I.E.L.D." series is moving along with fan favorite Clark Gregg back in action and TV veteran Ming-Na Wen (“ER” and “SGU Stargate Universe”) recently coming on board, and now there's a start date on the horizon. According to Variety's Marc Graser, the Joss Whedon produced series will start shooting in January. We presume that this means it will be aimed as an addition to the fall 2013 TV lineup on ABC (owned by Disney). Of course, what this means for the broader Marvel universe remains to be seen, but with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Guardians Of The Galaxy" coming in 2014, we don't think anyone involved is going to miss a chance to cross-pollinate to some degree (particularly with the latter, which is a far lesser known property with mainstream audiences).
More details should be coming soon as production begins to heat up, and it will be interesting to see what shape and direction the series takes. Can Marvel make it as a weekly series? Let us know. [via JoBlo]
