Anyone who has kept up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe or its various TV counterparts probably remembers the game-changing way that Captain America: The Winter Soldier caused turmoil for the team on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. At first, we weren’t even sure if the ABC drama could continue after the events in The Winter Soldier. Apparently, Clark Gregg and co. had similar misgivings during their early screenings of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Here’s what Clark Gregg revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night:
In the past, they’ve shown us stuff. Like in Season 1, they said ‘You have to see this now. We’re going to take you to see a screening.’ We went and saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and at the end of it we walked out and S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t exist anymore. So we thought we’d have to change the name of the show.
Obviously, that didn’t end up happening. Instead, the series pivoted after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded and followed the team taking on a brand new threat: Hydra. In the time since, we’ve gotten a whole slew of additional plotlines related to the Inhumans and more. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a very complicated series in its own right at this point. However, that doesn’t mean that Civil War won’t affect the show at all.
We’ve already heard from executive producer Jed Whedon that Captain America: Civil War will have a “ripple effect” on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although he’s obviously declining to elaborate before the movie comes out, a plot synopsis for the show also seems to confirm this. While Clark Gregg hadn’t seen the movie yet when he taped the episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he does have some intel from filming the TV show and has stated before that he thinks the Inhumans outbreak may connect with Captain America: Civil War.
Still, this time around Clark Gregg says he doesn’t think the cinematic universe will play such a huge role in changing the trajectory of the TV series. Instead, he said he is hoping for an enjoyable time at the movies. (He headed to the Captain America: Civil War premiere directly after the taping of the episode).
Clark Gregg’s a really likable interview, so if you’d like to hear what he has to say, you can catch his full exchange with Jimmy Kimmel, below.
Captain America: Civil War will not officially hit theaters until May 6, but luckily there will be new episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the interim. It also should be noted that S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been renewed for Season 4.
