Ever since Marvel announced plans for a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, fans have been wondering how exactly it will all pan out. Would it be a standalone series? Would any of the superhero Avengers star? Would Joss Whedon be involved in some capacity? Rumours began building a couple of weeks ago with the confirmation that actor Clark Gregg - who played Agent Coulsen in all 5 movies, would be reprising his role. Anyone who has seen any of the Phase 1 movies leading up to The Avengers will know just how important he has been throughout the series but fans will also remember his untimely demise at the hands of Loki at the end of The Avengers. So what's it all about? Joss Whedon has now confirmed S.H.I.E.L.D. will indeed be set in a post-Avengers world. The first series will deal with the fallout of the attack on New York City and will look at the interconnected lives of some of the lesser known heroes. It also means that Agent Coulsen is not dead. S.H.I.E.L.D. will tie in with Marvel's Phase 1 (Iron Man 1+2, Captain America, Thor & Hulk) and the upcoming Phase 2 (which kicks off this summer with Iron 3) and Phase 3. When Whedon was asked how S.H.I.E.L.D. would differ from Avengers, this is what he said. You've got to bring a bit of spectacle to it. Its got to be bigger than your average cop show. But at the end of the day, its about the peripheral people. Its about the people on the edges of the grand adventures. The whole point of the show is that even with all these big things, the little things matter. So its about people who dont have super powers. There will be some people with powers, there will be FX, there will be the spectacle of science-fiction storytelling, but all played on a very human, small level. Thats the appeal of the thing. This is where things get interesting as Marvel could play this very cleverly. If Coulsen is still believed dead by The Avengers, it automatically divides the world. S.H.I.E.L.D. could take on the role of a covert unit unknown to anyone in The Avengers. We all know that Robert Downey Jr. won't be a regular cast member and this deals with that problem perfectly. How cool would it be for a season 1 finale that merges the two groups? Whatever happens, in Whedon's hands this can't fail.