As someone whose only firsthand experience with the Star Trek franchise comes by virtue of J.J. Abrams‘ two Trek films, I know I’m in over my head when the topic presents itself. When you mention Trek, you’re referencing (either directly or indirectly) a rich legacy filled with peaks and valleys, genre-defining characters and moments, and an international fanbase that rivals any of pop-culture’s most enduring titles. And yet here I am, with two films under my belt (both of which I enjoyed), talking about it. Obviously, I have nothing at stake with regards to Star Trek Into Darkness. Whether you like it or dislike it is of no consequence to me. My only aim today is to extend a humble word of caution to the Trek fans who have years of equity built-up in their beloved franchise: be careful not to dismiss or begrudge it solely because it’s trying to appeal to the largest possible audience. Abrams’ Trek films aren’t above reproach, but they also aren’t void of redeeming qualities. Try to at least acknowledge some of those qualities when tearing into them or risk coming off as someone whose real issue is that a bunch of people now enjoy this thing that you once considered yourself unique for liking.

All preachiness aside, this week’s Top 5 includes several interviews from Star Trek Into Darkness, rumors surrounding Christopher Nolan being approached to direct James Bond 24, the first trailers for Marvel’s new ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a new trailer for Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pacific Rim, and new photos and a video from the set of director Jose Padilha‘s RoboCop remake. If I haven’t lost you yet, a brief recap and link to each of the above can be found after the jump.

Earlier this week, we got our first look at the highly-anticipated new series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The new series takes place after The Avengers, and has Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) leading a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives against supernatural forces.  Today, seven more seconds of precious footage have been released, and Coulson announces “Welcome to Level 7″.  Some may wonder, “What is Level 7″?  I wonder if these incredibly brief snippets of footage will be a consistent thing throughout the summer.  If so, that’s incredibly obnoxious.  The people who would watch seven seconds of footage are already going to see the show.  Provide real trailers or keep the show under wraps (I suspect the next major look at the show will come during Comic-Con).

Hit the jump to watch seven seconds of footage because you’re already going to see the show.  The series also stars also stars Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Chloe Bennet.  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres Tuesdays this fall on ABC. [Update: ABC has released a full 3-minute trailer for the series, which is now included after the jump.]

Earlier today, we got a very brief look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and now the full trailer has been released.  The new series takes place after The Avengers, and has Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) leading a new team of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives against supernatural forces.  Watching the TV spot, I was reminded of Heroes, not in terms of story, but in how far we’ve come in terms of special effects and network TV budgets.  And while there will certainly be some cool action on display, the closing joke is a welcome reminder of Joss Whedon‘s influence.

Hit the jump to check out the TV spot.  The series also stars also stars Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Chloe Bennet.  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres this fall on ABC.

Now that ABC has officially picked up Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we’re starting to learn a lot more about the series.  A few days ago we got the first synopsis, then the first image, and now ABC has released a very short teaser trailer for the show.  With Joss Whedon having directed the pilot, and Marvel movies being extremely popular around the world, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was an easy bet for ABC.  However, pilots are always a risk, so I’m beyond excited the show got picked up and in a few months we’ll be able to see a weekly Marvel show and it’s going to feature the return of Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson.  Hit the jump to watch the footage.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also stars Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge and Chloe Bennet and it’ll premiere this fall.  [UPDATE: Click here to watch the full trailer.]

It’s official!  ABC has given the series order on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Viewers can get their first look at the new series this coming Sunday during the season finale of Once Upon a Time.  Starring Clark Gregg – who reprises his role as Agent Phil Coulson – Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge and Chloe Bennet, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will debut this fall.  Hit the jump for the first official image from the series and for more background on each of the characters.

It looks like Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a go.  Today has been insane with news of TV pilot pick ups, who’s been renewed, who’s been cancelled, and the Vegas odds on NBC’s 32 pilot orders (but not the odds on Vegas, which seems destined for the can).  Though ABC has not officially stated that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been picked up for a full series, it seems it’s a sure bet.  Also, a short video clip from the pilot (?) just leaked.  Hit the jump to watch the super short video clip of Hulk smashing (as he does) before it disappears.

It’s almost like this weekend is a national holiday with regards to all the hoopla surrounding the release of Marvel’s first Phase Two film, Iron Man 3.  We’ve already shared details and images for Thor: The Dark World and Ant-Man as well as new info and concept art for Guardians of the Galaxy, and now it’s time for some updates on Marvel’s foray into television: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The pilot for the S.H.I.E.L.D.-centric potential series has already been shot (Joss Whedon co-wrote and directed), and now the series awaits an all-but-guaranteed greenlight from ABC.

We know that Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson returns as the star of the show (under some strange circumstances) and the series takes place after the events of The Avengers, but further details about how Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would fit into the larger Marvel universe have thus far been unclear.  EW’s recent cover story on Phase Two provides a closer look at the show, however, with Marvel’s Kevin Feige addressing the possibility of using the series to introduce new characters and Robert Downey Jr. talking about a possible appearance on the show.  Hit the jump to read on.

It’s no secret that Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) didn’t have the best of days in last year’s The Avengers; the real mystery is just how he is going to return to lead Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The ABC series recently wrapped production on its pilot but details on Coulson’s return to action have been locked down.  Steve recently spoke with Gregg at WonderCon about the series but couldn’t get the actor to budge.  Now, however, new information has cropped up that might actually be the answer behind Coulson’s return.  Is it a Coulson Life Model Decoy?  Will Vision be worked into the plot somehow?  Some trickery on behalf of Nick Fury? Or perhaps something no one has thought of yet?

The series also stars Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tain De Caestecker, and Brett Dalton.  Hit the jump for more and keep in mind that major spoilers lie in wait.

As Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series moves through development, the studio and the network (ABC) are trying to figure out the best name for the project.  Right now, they’ve unofficially settled on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.“, which is only slightly less unwieldy than “S.H.I.E.L.D., The Government Organization from the Marvel Movies.  You Know, The One With Coulson and Nick Fury.  Those Guys.”  Perhaps the reason was to provide more distance from FX’s amazing series, The Shield, although I would automatically love S.H.I.E.L.D. is every cold open finished with “Just another daaaaaaaay!”

Hit the jump for the unofficial synopsis for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and click here for Steve’s recent interview with lead actor Clark Gregg from WonderCon.

“Coulson Lives”.  Clark Gregg, who has been doing terrific work throughout his career, finally found a devoted fan following for his beloved performance as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson.  A minor character who still managed to steal scenes with only a few lines, Coulson really got to stand out in The Avengers, and his death left fans reeling.  Then a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series was announced, and it turned out Coulson wasn’t quite so dead after all.  Fans rejoiced, and while a pilot for the show has been filmed, details are still scarce.  Now that Coulson is back in the world of the living, Gregg spoke with Steve at WonderCon about joining the TV series, how it will explain Coulson’s return, working with a smaller budget, and if Coulson will come back to the movies.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

During a recent interview for his take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Joss Whedon also fielded some questions on comics-related projects.  At the forefront of that discussion was the upcoming ABC series Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., but The Avengers director also addressed his consulting work for Marvel and just how the eventual stand-alone Hulk movie could work.  Whedon also commented on films in the DC universe, including his work on a Wonder Woman feature and just how far he progressed with it.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say. 

Though we’re still halfway through the current 2012/2013 TV season, many fans are already looking ahead to this coming fall when they hope Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series will be gracing the small screen.  ABC ordered a pilot for the spinoff show that revolves around the ongoings at the titular agency, and the impeccably talented Joss Whedon came onboard to co-write and direct said pilot.  We know that the show takes place after the events of The Avengers and will see the return of Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson (hopefully not as Ghost Coulson), but beyond brief descriptions of the new cast of characters, the overall premise for the show has been kept tightly under wraps.

Whedon recently spoke a bit about the potential show (ABC would be crazy not to pick the pilot up to series, but they haven’t made a decision just yet), talking about the show’s connection to the Marvel universe and describing it as “very hopeful” in relation to network TV’s other programs.  Whedon also elaborated on a possible appearance by Cobie Smulders‘ Agent Maria Hill and spoke a bit about how Marvel’s cinematic characters fit into the TV show’s universe.  Hit the jump to read on.

In late January, we reported that filming had begun on the pilot for Marvel’s TV series, S.H.I.E.L.D.  Production on the pilot has now wrapped according to co-executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen who is co-showrunning with her husband Jed Whedon.  Joss Whedon co-wrote and directed the pilot, and I’m not surprised that filming has already wrapped since TV tends to shoot quickly.  Although ABC hasn’t officially picked up the series, I would be shocked if it didn’t get an order for at least 13 episodes.  There’s too much talent behind the camera, and too large of a built-in audience.  If The Walking Dead can pull in 13.2 million viewers, imagine what a Marvel series could do.

Hit the jump to check out Tancharoen’s tweeted image of the wrapped production.  S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tain De Caestecker, and Brett Dalton.

While fans are clamoring for every bit of Avengers 2 news they can get their hands on, writer/director Joss Whedon is currently busy focusing on a different Marvel property: the pilot for ABC’s new S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series.  Whedon is presently directing the pilot for the Marvel offshoot, which he co-wrote and will executive produce.  The show’s cast includes Ming-Na, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Brett Dalton, and of course Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson (Coulson Lives!), but it sounds like another familiar face in addition to Gregg might be making an appearance on the show.

Cobie Smulders, who played Agent Maria Hill in The Avengers, recently revealed that—despite her commitment to CBS’ How I Met Your Mother—there are “definite talks” about her popping up on S.H.I.E.L.D.  Hit the jump for more.

Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D. series pilot has officially started filming today and the first images and bits of news are already starting to leak out.  Though the series has yet to be ordered to anything beyond the pilot, ABC’s executives are optimistic that the show will become the small-screen version of Marvel’s theatrical success.  In addition to production beginning behind-the-scenes, S.H.I.E.L.D. has also launched a variety of social networking accounts that will allow fans to follow along with the show’s progress.

Starring Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tain De Caestecker and Brett Dalton, the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot should air on ABC this fall.  Hit the jump for more.