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You know how I wrote an
article two
weeks ago about the announced Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff potentially
coming this fall? Well, we’ve had a couple
developments on that front this week, one a casting rumor, and the other a line
from the episode which may have been a reference to it. The rumor going around this week is that Adrianne
Palicki (Bobbi Morse, aka “Mockingbird”) and Nick Blood (Lance Hunter) have
been in negotiations to headline the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff. Apparently this spinoff would have a “Mr.
and Mrs. Smith vibe” to it. The
reference in the episode, “The Frenemy of My Enemy” (2x18), came while Hunter
and Fitz were discussing Coulson’s plan to work with Ward against Hydra. Fitz asked Hunter if he would be willing to
work with Bobbi again, to which Hunter replied “No, not a chance.” Was I the only one who thought that could be
teasing the two of them getting back together in some fashion as part of this
spinoff?
So if it is true that
the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff will feature Bobbi and Hunter, I think
we need to do a little speculating. Here
are a couple of my ideas for how this could work:
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| Not my best work |
Theta Protocol
or S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy
You should remember
that in last week’s episode, “Melinda” (2x17), Bobbi, Weaver, and Gonzales
informed May of something called “Theta Protocol” which Coulson was working on
off the books and without consulting her.
This involved some large-scale construction projects, requisition orders
for base supplies (“100 bunk beds”), as well as consultations with Dr. Andrew
Garner, May’s ex-husband. So what if “Theta
Protocol” is Coulson’s plan for expanding S.H.I.E.L.D. by founding a new S.H.I.E.L.D.
Academy?
The original
S.H.I.E.L.D. had three academies scattered around the world—Operations, Science
and Technology, and Communication.
However, in the Hydra uprising the academies were all destroyed and most
of the students were either killed or turned.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to rebuild and expand, they will need to start
recruiting and training agents on a much larger scale. This is where Bobbi and Hunter come in.
If the spinoff follows
this concept, Bobbi and Hunter will act as overseers to a new S.H.I.E.L.D.
Academy. They (along with Agent Weaver)
will be responsible for recruiting, evaluating, and training candidates—both gifted
and regular humans. Some of the recruits
might even be Inhumans sent in their direction by Jiaying (after S.H.I.E.L.D.
helps her group rescue Lincoln from Hydra, of course). They will take the recruits on some training missions,
but most of the series will be devoted to introducing and training new agents. By focusing more on recruitment and training,
I think this spinoff idea would be able to distinguish itself from Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D., which would continue to focus on the Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Civil War storylines.
However, one key issue
with this idea is the feel: would this
have a “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” vibe, and the reports have suggested? It is always possible, but I don’t see this
spinoff concept spending a lot of time on Hunter and Bobbi’s relationship
post-S.H.I.E.L.D. breakup—except insofar as they would be working very closely
together.
Secret Warriors
or Secret Avengers
At the end of this
week’s episode, “The Frenemy of My Enemy” (2x18), Deathlok and Lincoln were
captured by Hydra to be taken to Liszt’s (and possibly Strucker’s) base for “experimentation”
and “compliance training.” The two Hydra
heads are reportedly obsessed with the idea of powers and have been attempting
various techniques to give people superpowers.
One such experiment using Loki’s scepter actually unlocked Quicksilver
and Scarlet Witch’s superhuman abilities—abilities which we will see in action
in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However,
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are obviously not the only test subjects from
Strucker and Liszt’s experiments. They
may have captured other gifted individuals in addition to Lincoln and
Deathlok. They may have succeeded in
unlocking powers in others as they did in Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. However it happened, as a lead-up to this
potential spinoff concept, Hydra has a number of enhanced individuals under
their control.
The next episode, “The
Dirty Half Dozen” (2x19) will see Coulson’s team (presumably with assistance)
infiltrating the Hydra base to rescue Lincoln and Deathlok. If this concept is correct, they will succeed
in defeating Liszt’s forces and freeing all the enhanced people under his
control, including Lincoln and Deathlok.
Many of those they rescue might have been driven mad by the experimentation
and brainwashing, and will manage to escape from S.H.I.E.L.D. to wreak havoc. However, some of them will be perfectly sane,
and Coulson will offer them positions in the newly-merged S.H.I.E.L.D. (or not
merged; either way works). Some will
reject the offer and set out on their own, perhaps becoming freelance superheroes
along the lines of Daredevil. Others
will accept the offer and go to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. These will form the nucleus of New
S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first Enhanced Strike Team.
This spinoff series would
see Bobbi and Hunter placed in command of the Enhanced Strike Team, which goes
on missions for Coulson (and/or Gonzales) to track down and contain the other
experiments from the Hydra base, as well as other super humans. In fact, this plot could even lead directly into
Captain America: Civil War. With
a group of mentally unstable enhanced individuals running around, there are
plenty of opportunities for super humans to cause widespread panic and
destruction, giving the world’s governments more reasons to call for the
registration of all super humans. Where
would Bobbi, Hunter, and their team fall in this debate: on the side of the governments, or on the
side of the super humans?
I think this would be
an interesting concept for a TV series in the Marvel universe. However, I see two concerns here. First, I don’t know if this spinoff concept
would have the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” feel that Marvel is supposedly going
for. That feeling could be worked into
any series, but in something like this it would really be an afterthought—or at
least a secondary plot. Second, how
would this series distinguish itself from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? It’s not enough for this series to just be “Agents
of S.H.I.E.L.D. with superpowers.” There
needs to be something more that makes it different from the parent series. They can’t be different characters doing the
same things and working the same plots. If
that happens, then either the spinoff will succeed because it has superpowers
while AoS fails because it does not, or neither series will succeed
because they are in direct competition for viewers. I don’t think either of these concerns is an
automatic deal breaker, but it is still something to keep in mind.
Mr. and Mrs.
Hunter
So thematically this
would pretty much be a remake of Mr. and Mrs. Smith set in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe and starring Bobbi and Hunter. The series would see the two of them get fed
up with all the lies and deceit from the two S.H.I.E.L.D.s and decide to leave
together to work things out by themselves.
I think that at this point Bobbi is fed up enough with Coulson’s secrets
and Gonzales’ assault on Coulson (while ignoring the Hydra threat) that she
would be willing to leave both of them behind, regardless of how the S.H.I.E.L.D.
vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. conflict is resolved. I’m
not sure whether Hunter would be willing to leave Coulson at the end of the
season and go off with Bobbi, however, because at this point he appears to have
been hurt deeply by her betrayal. It could
still happen, especially if over the next few episodes the two of them are
forced to work together and he becomes disillusioned with Coulson’s goals and
methods.
If the two of them
become disillusioned with S.H.I.E.L.D. and go off on their own, what will they
do? One possibility is that they will go
to hunt down Hydra leads on their own, operating entirely outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.
control, while the two S.H.I.E.L.D.s settle their differences. If this is the case then Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D. would be left to deal with the S.H.I.E.L.D. vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.
and Inhumans storylines. Another option
is for them to go undercover to get close to a particular villain and take him
down—either independently or under Coulson/Gonzales’ orders. As a third option, this series could fit into
the trope of a romantic comedy… but with spies!
I would not be a huge fan of that third option.
One benefit of this
series would be the character focus, something we can’t get a lot of with a
show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. which has a large ensemble cast. However, I just don’t see much in the way of
MCU connectivity from this type of series.
They could certainly work it in, but I see much better alternatives
which would connect to the MCU and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. more closely.
Of the three options,
I think the Secret Warriors/Secret Avengers would make the most
sense. But what do you think? Which option do you like best? Do you have another possibility that I didn’t
think of? Let me know!
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