What a rollercoaster the past two seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been! When the show first started in the fall of 2013, it premiered right on the heels of Marvel’s The Avengers. With names like “Whedon” attached to the series, it was no secret that the show was going to be an immediate hit. Buzz online built rapidly, especially with the inclusion of fan-favorite Coulson. However, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a bumpy first season, with viewership steadily declining and the show struggling to find its groove within the intricate MCU.
Crossovers with Thor: The Dark World were cool, but not enough to make fans feel like the show was something worth watching – something that could carry its weight within the MCU. It wasn’t until the Captain America: The Winter Soldier when HYDRA was exposed as infiltrating Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in some of the deepest and most powerful ranks that fans realized the show was so involved in the MCU that the characters on Coulson’s team were directly affected by the events in the film. Never, in pop culture history, has a crossover of that type taken place, and so smoothly as well. Suddenly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was on everyone’s radar as a show worth watching.
Season 2 was a totally different story. With Coulson now the director of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the tone from the beginning was entirely different. The tone was darker, grittier, and more urgent. New characters were introduced, like Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter, Mac, and others. Our favorite agents were dealing with continued threats like the remnants of HYDRA, and overall, it seemed like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had really found its groove, but more importantly, it’s own identity within the MCU. Season 2 really blew me away with the introduction of the Inhuman. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is building the background story for an MCU film that’s still years away. It’s so cool to see how Marvel trusts the showrunners with the responsibility of the backstory to a feature film, and it’s awesome to see our favorite agents laying the foundation for what will soon become a large pillar within the MCU.
So, after two great seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., what do I want to see in Season 3? Here are some of my thoughts:
- More Inhumans – if rumors are true, we’ll get to see more Inhumans and maybe an Inhuman lead villain – Lash. Hopefully, we’ll get to see more Inhumans with diverse powers and abilities. (By the looks of some of the teasers, it looks to be the case!)
- Grant Ward – yes, he’s a traitor and we all have a love/hate relationship with Grant Ward, but Brett Dalton absolutely NAILS
the characterization of the troubled former agent. Plus, I wouldn’t mind another scene of Daisy beating him up!
- Speaking of Daisy, can we talk a minute about her evolution as a character? Chloe Bennet did an amazing job last season, especially in the mid-season finale, which is one of the best, if not THE best episode of the series, so far. Not to mention her fight scenes – which included the use of her powers later in the season – were so well done. Marvel, show us more of badass Daisy!
- More interaction with Agent May and her ex-husband.
- More Bobbi Morse and Hunter banter! (Side note: it’s interesting to wonder where this season will take them as a pair,
considering ABC just gave their show, Marvel’s Most Wanted, a green light for a pilot episode.)
- Peggy Carter – more crossover/flashbacks with one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founders would be awesome! It seems like Agent Carter is becoming the equivalent of Nick Fury in the sense that she’s appearing in many corners of the MCU, doesn’t it?
- How will the show incorporate the events of Captain America: Civil War? I want to see some of our agents vocalize their opinions about whose side they might take: Cap’s or Iron Man’s. Civil War might easily be one of the most anticipated films in the MCU to date, and since the last Captain America film heavily influenced the show, will this one do the same? It’s obvious that The Winter Soldier was a universe-shaking event with the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D., and it makes sense that with a title like Civil War, this film will be the same.
What did you love about the last two seasons of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and what do you hope to see in season 3? Tell us in the comments below!