The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't just made up of the movies, you know; it's a vast, sprawling entity that also counts a bunch of TV shows as "canon." And though the idea is nifty, the connection that the MCU shares with its spin-off TV shows - Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil, Agent Carter - creates a strange sort of continuity that doesn't quite work; no, it's not detrimental to either medium, but it's not as hazard-free as it pretends to be. Even Joss Whedon has cited issues with a continuity between TV shows and movies:
I think actually the movie people were a little bit cross about the TV show. They were sort of like 'Well, you can have this but not this. And this but not that.' Its complicated enough as it is without me adding another layer of complication. We also created a TV show called S.H.I.E.L.D. right before they made a movie where they destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D.. So everybodys having a great time!"
His words have an air of passive-aggressiveness that can be read as: "It really screws things up having both of these entities going at once." And he's right: the TV shows have to be their own thing whilst advancing their own plots whilst also ensuring that nothing too "big" happens that might affect the "larger" world of the movies, because then people will say: "Where's Iron Man? Where's Thor?" It's a tough balance to juggle, and one that thus far hasn't been struck.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
