SHIELD Senior Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) may have squashed the enemy Hydra in the end of season 2, but he will need more men once 'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD' premieres this March on its 3rd season. Two of Coulson's top agents, Bobbi Morse (Adrienne Palicki) and Nick Blood (Lance Hunter), are being transferred by the show's producers to the spin-off series, "Marvel's Most Wanted."
In the story filed by IGN, SHIELD showrunner, Jed Whedon, said that the promotion of the two actors - and their characters - to topbill a new series had been hinted at in the first two seasons. Whedon said that creating characters who were superhero material and could be popular and intriguing enough to lead their own show had been part of the design of 'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.' 'Marvel's Most Wanted' would hopefully be the first of many.
Whedon said that the departure of the two characters was bittersweet. Palicki's Bobbi is one of the few TV female characters who can hold off her own against the men, and Hunter's Blood had captured more than a fair share of fans because of his wit and derring-do. Whedon did not also rule out sporadic guest star returns of the two actors back in SHIELD should their characters touch base with their former colleagues for certain assignments.
The duo aren't the only agent that SHIELD has lost recently. The traitorous Ward, who had defected to Hydra, was killed by Coulson in the finale of the second season. ABC's synopsis of the climax discloses that Hydra's planned invasion consisted of Ward's possesion by a destructive alien who would be let loose on earth.
In a recent interview with Den of Geek, Gregg admits that the continous changes in the show make it exciting and unpredictable enough for fans to latch on to every episode. He cites the transformation of SHIELD from a massive secret organization to a lean-and-mean team that had to prove itself again. While wishing his colleagues well, after dealing with all the tragedy in the first two seasons, Gregg hoped that his character would experience a romance again.
