Maurissa Tancharoen
The ultimate choice and a must for any director’s list. While Jed Whedon helmed 2016’s Self Control which was widely regarded as one of the best episodes of the season, Maurissa has been a powerhouse in the writer’s room, a dedicated showrunner, not just to her characters and her actors but to her fans. Maurissa, or “Mo” is one of the few women of color who are showrunners currently working. She’s given life to multiple characters and she, like many of these other choices, has experience in front of the camera.
There’s no other way to put it. Having Maurissa head an episode of SHIELD, preferably a Daisy centric one since she’s practically a daughter to her, is a must. No matter what happens to SHIELD, or any other Marvel properties, Maurissa is a trail blazer. She has been one of the first women of color working to develop a superhero television show and she needs her time to shine. If for some reason she doesn’t make it into the director’s chair in this season, she should be brought onto another Marvel property and given a chance to honor the legacy she gave to the MCU with Daisy Johnson and the Secret Warriors team. She’s been the power behind the throne for multiple seasons, constantly working to deliver quality entertainment with her writing partner and husband Jed Whedon but she deserves the spotlight. Plus her brother has directed multiple episodes. She should get a turn. They could even team up!
This list could go on for pages. From other actors (we will forever campaign for Ming Na Wen to also get a shot in the directing chair) to former actors (if Brett Dalton isn’t coming back on screen could he perhaps end up off screen directing an episode?) to even other Marvel actors who have been with the studio to Jeph Loeb himself, many people who have worked on this series and worked for Marvel deserve to share their vision. The director shares the vision of the world around them and brings their own unique stamp and style. Agents of SHIELD has meant so many things to so many different fans along with the MCU. As we head into the fifth season, the meat and potatoes of SHIELD remain a mystery. We don’t know who will be sliding into the director’s chair, or even if the rumor about Clark Gregg is true, but no matter what we can’t wait to see what the new season brings for our favorite agents.