SHIELD musings
Ok, first things first...THE X-FILES IS BACK!!!
Please let these 6 eps finish the alien colonization mytharc. PLEASE.
So, this whole "real" SHIELD thing. It's weird in one sense. Because who is defining "real" here? On the one hand, this "real" SHIELD has an aircraft carrier compared to Coulson's SHIELD having one airplane. Obviously, there's some more financial backing there. But Coulson has the Air Force (kinda) on his side. So, is the Navy on "real" SHIELD's side? Does the Army support another SHIELD? Or maybe they're on Hydra's side. ;) (I joke about this because despite SHIELD supposedly being an international organization, it's like 95% United States/American.) It kind of comes off as an annoying plot device to keep the show going in a way that doesn't fit either the comics or the established MCU.
However. I like the idea of factions post-Hydra and each claiming they're the "real" SHIELD. It's very accurate of political ideological groups (see: Communism, any number of wars with ethnic and/or political/religious factions, Ireland, even individual bureaucratic agencies that build up their own culture within a larger umbrella such as FEMA or Dept Homeland or the military services). In this case, we have the inheritor of the previous regime's information and status (again, the AF working with Coulson's SHIELD) working against the inheritor of the ideals of the original SHIELD. I enjoy the politics of it. Throw in Adama (er, Gonzalez, I mean, lol) and it suddenly feels very much like BSG and why I enjoyed BSG (politics in space!).
And so taking that into consideration...it is basically a civil war within SHIELD. Two (at least) factions fighting for what SHIELD gets to stand for - what the organization truly is.
Honestly, what better way to set up Captain America 3: Civil War? If we see the downfall of SHIELD in Cap 2, the fallout of Tony's Ultron program in Avengers 2, why not see it continue in Cap 3? In this sense, while Bucky may be the focal point, it may be the same focal point as he was in Cap 2 - the tip of an iceberg. Given Gonzalez's comments regarding SHIELD as an agency based on transparency and democracy...combined with Tony's "unchecked" development of Ultron which nearly destroys humanity and the acknowledgement of Inhumans...this "real" SHIELD is the PERFECT agency to support the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA). The "real" SHIELD makes some compelling arguments against Coulson and Fury's "secrets". But who is best buds (ok not really) with the Avengers? It's Coulson. Coulson was their motivator. If anything, the Avengers will, as a whole, fall in with Coulson's SHIELD. Except, guess who? TONY. Because Tony is the creator of Ultron who nearly destroys humanity and his guilt complex is as large as his ego and hence, he will be more inclined to side with the "transparency and democracy" group out of sheer guilt. I could see at this point, (most of) Coulson's group accepting Bucky on their side because they've dealt with Agent 33 and Grant Ward and the brainwashing of Hydra. Thus, we get descriptions of Tony and Steve fighting about Bucky, but at the end of the day, it isn't a civil war amongst the Avengers over Bucky, but in fact over Ultron and the civil war occurring within SHIELD.
(Ohhh, also what if Hawkeye started the "real" SHIELD and that's why we don't see him in Cap 2 - he'd already gone underground? That would give Tony at least one other Avenger on his side.)
This all makes such perfect sense to me, I'm going to be pissed if this isn't where it goes. Why do I like it so much? Because, in part, it takes the blame off Tony FOR ONCE (in the MCU). All the Civil War rumors make it sound like Tony is the odd man out, everyone hates him, everyone blames him, because a) fans are on Cap's side and b) nearly everyone (except the reporters during Cap 2's press tours) can see Bucky is not a villain but a victim. In fact, I blame those reporter's questions that Sebastian Stan hated on the deliberate misleading advertising for Cap 2. I wonder if Marvel isn't doing the exact same thing now. This concept, to me, ties up a lot of loose ends, rumors about Avengers 2 and Cap 3, and makes some amount of sense out of the hot mess of Agents of SHIELD plot.
So, thoughts? Something I'm missing/forgot that completely negates this? This is the mantra of my life these last 6 years, but, if I had time, I'd totally write the fanfic. Alas, dissertation duty doesn't allow fun writing time.
Please let these 6 eps finish the alien colonization mytharc. PLEASE.
So, this whole "real" SHIELD thing. It's weird in one sense. Because who is defining "real" here? On the one hand, this "real" SHIELD has an aircraft carrier compared to Coulson's SHIELD having one airplane. Obviously, there's some more financial backing there. But Coulson has the Air Force (kinda) on his side. So, is the Navy on "real" SHIELD's side? Does the Army support another SHIELD? Or maybe they're on Hydra's side. ;) (I joke about this because despite SHIELD supposedly being an international organization, it's like 95% United States/American.) It kind of comes off as an annoying plot device to keep the show going in a way that doesn't fit either the comics or the established MCU.
However. I like the idea of factions post-Hydra and each claiming they're the "real" SHIELD. It's very accurate of political ideological groups (see: Communism, any number of wars with ethnic and/or political/religious factions, Ireland, even individual bureaucratic agencies that build up their own culture within a larger umbrella such as FEMA or Dept Homeland or the military services). In this case, we have the inheritor of the previous regime's information and status (again, the AF working with Coulson's SHIELD) working against the inheritor of the ideals of the original SHIELD. I enjoy the politics of it. Throw in Adama (er, Gonzalez, I mean, lol) and it suddenly feels very much like BSG and why I enjoyed BSG (politics in space!).
And so taking that into consideration...it is basically a civil war within SHIELD. Two (at least) factions fighting for what SHIELD gets to stand for - what the organization truly is.
Honestly, what better way to set up Captain America 3: Civil War? If we see the downfall of SHIELD in Cap 2, the fallout of Tony's Ultron program in Avengers 2, why not see it continue in Cap 3? In this sense, while Bucky may be the focal point, it may be the same focal point as he was in Cap 2 - the tip of an iceberg. Given Gonzalez's comments regarding SHIELD as an agency based on transparency and democracy...combined with Tony's "unchecked" development of Ultron which nearly destroys humanity and the acknowledgement of Inhumans...this "real" SHIELD is the PERFECT agency to support the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA). The "real" SHIELD makes some compelling arguments against Coulson and Fury's "secrets". But who is best buds (ok not really) with the Avengers? It's Coulson. Coulson was their motivator. If anything, the Avengers will, as a whole, fall in with Coulson's SHIELD. Except, guess who? TONY. Because Tony is the creator of Ultron who nearly destroys humanity and his guilt complex is as large as his ego and hence, he will be more inclined to side with the "transparency and democracy" group out of sheer guilt. I could see at this point, (most of) Coulson's group accepting Bucky on their side because they've dealt with Agent 33 and Grant Ward and the brainwashing of Hydra. Thus, we get descriptions of Tony and Steve fighting about Bucky, but at the end of the day, it isn't a civil war amongst the Avengers over Bucky, but in fact over Ultron and the civil war occurring within SHIELD.
(Ohhh, also what if Hawkeye started the "real" SHIELD and that's why we don't see him in Cap 2 - he'd already gone underground? That would give Tony at least one other Avenger on his side.)
This all makes such perfect sense to me, I'm going to be pissed if this isn't where it goes. Why do I like it so much? Because, in part, it takes the blame off Tony FOR ONCE (in the MCU). All the Civil War rumors make it sound like Tony is the odd man out, everyone hates him, everyone blames him, because a) fans are on Cap's side and b) nearly everyone (except the reporters during Cap 2's press tours) can see Bucky is not a villain but a victim. In fact, I blame those reporter's questions that Sebastian Stan hated on the deliberate misleading advertising for Cap 2. I wonder if Marvel isn't doing the exact same thing now. This concept, to me, ties up a lot of loose ends, rumors about Avengers 2 and Cap 3, and makes some amount of sense out of the hot mess of Agents of SHIELD plot.
So, thoughts? Something I'm missing/forgot that completely negates this? This is the mantra of my life these last 6 years, but, if I had time, I'd totally write the fanfic. Alas, dissertation duty doesn't allow fun writing time.