The Magical Place of the Everyman as Superhero

Joss Whedon's philosophy in creating narratives centered around protagonists who are least likely to be the main star seems completely antithetical to the superhero subgenre, as well as a tremendous risk within the powerhouse that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Yet, it comes as no surprise that after his success in writing and directing The Avengers (2012), Whedon develops an offshoot from the larger world of the MCU into the realm of television, serving as creator, writer, and executive producer of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020). Starring Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, this charmingly integral but somewhat tertiary character generally relegated to the edges of such films as Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), The Avengers, and Captain Marvel (2019) is now thrust into the spotlight of the series just at the moment when the population within that universe has started to become distrustful of the ever-growing roster of enhanced individuals. Like S.H.I.E.L.D. itself, Coulson must learn to operate outside the purview of governments in order to truly save the world, while protecting those he learns have innate or acquired powers from the general populace who see them as a threat. Fans were rightly concerned about how far Marvel could take the series without the inclusion of an Avenger superhero appearance, yet the series intricately but sparingly interweaves events from the films into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to show that Coulson and any agents he corrals for his team, could be just as compelling a study on the human condition. Whedon has stated in a number of interviews that he writes his heroes who are the ignored, the disenfranchised, or are those in the periphery of much larger narratives and this series continues to uphold his oeuvre. It allows for close scrutiny of the morale code of many of his evolving characters by severely disrupting, usually more than once, their environments, relationships, and even existence over the course of several seasons. Coulson, in particular, embodies both the shield that strives to protect humanity while maintaining a rather flawed but still ‘super’ human status in doing so. What is suggested in this analysis is that like Tahiti, the magical place referenced by Coulson that serves to protect him from learning the truth but is equally prone to decay, Whedon challenges the notion of superhero within the very genre itself, redefining who such a hero can be by exploring the everyman in its stead.