Going the classic route of introducing us to a team via a newcomer, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. -- which was shown as a surprise at San Diego Comic-Con -- begins with Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), a S.H.I.E.L.D. badass used to working on his own. But Ward’s skill set has put him on the radar of Agent Maria Hill (guest star Cobie Smulders, reprising her Avengers role)… Oh, and a guy named Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).

S.H.I.E.L.D. Prep: The Story so Far

Loading

It seems Coulson -- whose miraculous resurrection is explained (in a way – more on that later) -- is putting together a squad to investigate the emerging world of superheroes and villains, and Ward is his latest recruit. Coulson has also brought in young specialists Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), with a mysterious past of her own. Soon this new group, part of “Level 7,” are on the hunt for a man (J. August Richards) who used his superhuman abilities to save someone from a fire, with Coulson warning that other far more nefarious groups are no doubt seeking this person as well.Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had me a few minutes in, when Ward is introduced, in a scene that acts as a cool spy sequence that, naturally, escalates into violence, yet is also extremely funny. Per usual, Joss Whedon (who directed the pilot and co-wrote it with Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen) proves how deft he is at mixing together several different tones and expertly making them mesh, as Ward’s mission involves some hysterical beats and some awesome action.

Before S.H.I.E.L.D.: Marvel's TV History

Loading

After months of speculation about S.H.I.E.L.D., it was very gratifying to see that Whedon had plenty of surprises in store, managing to take the story and players in unexpected directions. Several characters aren’t what they seem or reveal notable layers beyond what is first presented, while plenty of groundwork is set for the future. From the past Melinda doesn’t want to talk about to the exact circumstances of Coulson’s return, there is a lot of ground left to cover in the episodes to come.Don’t expect Marvel characters to be jumping out in every scene, as the focus in the pilot is on Coulson and his crew, plus the hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet), whose fascination (and adoration) of superheroes and suspicion of S.H.I.E.L.D. puts her on their radar. There are certainly characters who could be revealed as more directly connected to the comics though and Whedon not only puts in some very fun nods (an old Marvel title is used as a phrase at one point) but also one big tie-in to a Marvel movie plotline. And little touches, like a mention of “Agent Romanoff”, are obviously going to be appreciated by those looking for the continuity threads.

Ming-Na Wen Talks Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Loading

Gregg is his usual warm, relatable presence as Coulson, with Wen quickly establishing a world-weary but formidable character. Per usual for a pilot, there’s only so much time to introduce everyone, but it looks to be a very promising group. The rest of the cast, mostly unknown, are all likable and work well together with Henstridge and De Caestecker bringing laughs as an adorably in sync duo who act almost like twins, Dalton coming off as believably tough and skeptical and Bennet appropriately plucky and sarcastic as the in over her head Skye.Whedon’s cleverness and wit run strong through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and while there are a couple of moments that don’t quite work, in terms of humor, for the most part, this is an incredibly crowd-pleasing pilot. Those looking for the scale of the Marvel movies will be disappointed – this is a high budget TV series, but it is a TV series – but S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly hits the right notes to firmly show how it exists on the ground level of the Marvel universe, as the characters try to process the iron men, super soldiers, green monsters and thunder gods now among them.