Though we’re still halfway through the current 2012/2013 TV season, many fans are already looking ahead to this coming fall when they hope Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series will be gracing the small screen. ABC ordered a pilot for the spinoff show that revolves around the ongoings at the titular agency, and the impeccably talented Joss Whedon came onboard to co-write and direct said pilot. We know that the show takes place after the events of The Avengers and will see the return of Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson (hopefully not as Ghost Coulson), but beyond brief descriptions of the new cast of characters, the overall premise for the show has been kept tightly under wraps.

Whedon recently spoke a bit about the potential show (ABC would be crazy not to pick the pilot up to series, but they haven’t made a decision just yet), talking about the show’s connection to the Marvel universe and describing it as “very hopeful” in relation to network TV’s other programs. Whedon also elaborated on a possible appearance by Cobie Smulders‘ Agent Maria Hill and spoke a bit about how Marvel’s cinematic characters fit into the TV show’s universe. Hit the jump to read on.

Speaking with TV Line, Whedon talked about how the show stands out in a network television landscape filled with grim and violent procedurals:

“I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show. It’s not about murder, and it’s not about crime, and it’s not people looking into their own belly buttons. It’s about people who are trying to help each other, and that’s one of the things I loved about comic books. They had costumes and the villains were cool [but] they stood for something, and I like doing a show that does that.”

Whedon went on to say that fans shouldn’t expect a ton of familiar faces from the Marvel universe to pop up, but he did admit that “there’s a little bit of talk of that” as the series goes on:

“Right now, I want to involve people in the characters that we’ve created for the show,” Whedon said, “and then we’ll worry about [the other stuff].”

Speaking of which, rumors recently surfaced that Cobie Smulders’ Agent Maria Hill character from The Avengers might be making an appearance on S.H.I.E.L.D. The actress herself said there are “definite talks” about the prospect, but her commitment to the CBS series How I Met Your Mother means she would only be available for brief appearances on S.H.I.E.L.D. Whedon confirmed as much when asked about Smulders’ involvement:

Whedon cautions that Smulders’ schedule “will permit very little” involvement, “but if we can get a hold of her anytime, we will.”

As pilot season winds down, we should hear a decision one way or another regarding S.H.I.E.L.D.’s series pickup by ABC soon, but again it’s highly unlikely that the network will pass on the show. This is an excellent opportunity to capitalize on The Avengers’ massive success, and Whedon’s involvement ensures that the quality of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be up to snuff.