ABC orders S.H.I.E.L.D. TV pilot from Joss Whedon

ABC has ordered a pilot for a S.H.I.E.L.D. television series from Joss Whedon, the writer-director of the summer’s smash hit movie The Avengers.

The show will be set in the Avengers universe and chronicle the activities of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division — though likely not include headliner characters such as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk.

Hopefully S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury will be a part of the show, though it seems likely that a role like that would have to be recast. Samuel L. Jackson played him in the movie.

Whedon will write the pilot with two of his frequent collaborators, brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen.  Schedule permitting, he will also direct the pilot. Production starts immediately, with the Whedons and Tancharoen executive producing, along with Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb, Deadline reports.

Whedon is also on board for a sequel to the movie, which has grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.

His previous genre credits, of course, include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse.

If ABC likes the pilot, the show would be the first from the newly-formed Marvel TV division — which also has a couple of other shows in the works, including a new Hulk television series. Marvel and ABC are owned by Disney.