Joss Whedon is sticking close to home with his ABC pilot S.H.I.E.L.D.
Avengers alum Clark Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the network's adaptation of the Marvel comic series, Marvel announced Saturday at New York Comic-Con.
Gregg, who previously co-starred on The New Adventures of Old Christine, played the character -- a member of the elite task force -- in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and voiced the role in Disney XD's Ultimate Spider-Man.
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The casting brings Agent Coulson back to life after the character died in Disney's The Avengers.
From ABC Studios, the project is based on the long-running comic created by Jack Kirby and revolves around the secret military law enforcement agency dubbed S.H.I.E.L.D., which stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate.
Whedon is on board to co-pen the pilot alongside his brother Jed Whedon and Jed's wife Maurissa Tancharoen; the trio previously teamed on the three-part web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Avengers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Whedon will direct the pilot, should his schedule permit.
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Production on the live-action project will begin immediately, with the Whedon brothers and Tancharoen executive producing alongside Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb.
S.H.I.E.L.D. marks Whedon's return to the small screen. He most recently served as showrunner onDollhouse, in addition to cult favorites Buffy andFirefly. Tancharoen and Jed Whedon were writer-producers on Dollhouse as well as Starz'sSpartacus.
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In the comics, S.H.I.E.L.D. revolves around unit director Nick Fury, who recruits Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and Thor to form a team to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki. The organization made its debut in Strange Tales #135, which was published in August 1965.
ABC ordered the project to pilot in late August, just three weeks after Disney CEO Robert Iger announced Whedon would create a Marvel-related TV series for ABC.
Whedon has already signed on to direct Disney's The Avengers 2, set to bow May 1, 2015.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
