The Great Whedon Says S.H.I.E.L.D Is "Hopeful"

Shooting on the S.H.I.E.L.D pilot has wrapped, and we're pleased to report that writer and director Joss 'The Great' Whedon has stayed true to the series' comic book roots.

Speaking to TVLine, Whedon revealed that the series, should it get picked up of course, will stay true to Marvel - adding that it has a "hopeful" tone.

"I’m excited about the show because it’s a very hopeful show," he said.

"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."

"We’re trying very hard to be true to [Marvel's] ethos and also to the structure of their universe. So it is definitely a Marvel show," he continued.

But with the old, must come the new. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D's main characters are new creations, with the notable exception of Clark Gregg's much-loved Agent Phil Coulson.

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

Though he did add that fans hopeful for a cameo from a familiar face or two might get a nice surprise. "There’s a little bit of talk of that," said the director, revealing he's hoping Cobie Smulders will find a break whilst filming Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother to put in an appearance as Agent Maria Hill: "If we can get a hold of her anytime, we will."

S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Brett Dalton and Chloe Bennet. An air date and series pick-up have yet to be confirmed.