In the two weeks after the US debut of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the ABC show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. became firmly cemented into the Marvel universe (and risked spoiling the entire movie) by incorporating the Hydra uprising, as well as the "death" of Nick Fury.
"Hail Hydra." |
AoS began the official incorporation into the Marvel universe with cameos from Samuel L. Jackson and Jaimie Alexander, and in recent episodes characters from the new Cap movie have been referenced, with Fury's second, Maria Hill [Cobie Smulders], making an appearance in the upcoming episode on Tuesday:
For Marvel, this format seems to be working rather nicely, giving fans a glimpse into the universe between films and better defining what S.H.I.E.L.D. is all about. The perseverance of the beloved Phil Coulson and his team (minus Ward, of course) will doubtless go unrewarded - it is Marvel, after all, and the good guys always win - but for how long is yet to be determined, and with the release of the next Avengers film on the horizon, it can only be assumed the cameos will be in abundance and the various story arcs will continue to engage viewers.