Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Teaser: Five Questions Raised

, we noticed some details and made some predictions about Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Joss Whedon's series headed to ABC in the fall. Well, that's not all that occurred to us while watching it. As many questions as it answered, it also raised. What were some of the things we wondered after seeing those 35 seconds? Who is that guy? It sure looks like J. August Richards, but he blew by too fast for us to be sure. That said, who will he be playing? Somebody who can withstand exposure to an explosion and a significant fall/jump. Our money (and that of most of the Internet) is on Luke Cage, although if he appears it will be a tacit admission on Marvel's part that the long-in-development AKA Jessica Jones is finally, truly dead. ...And who's that he's fighting? It seems clear that, whoever that guy is, he's a good guy. The fact that he's bodyslamming somebody would suggest they're the bad guy--except of course that S.H.I.E.L.D. operates in a kind of moral gray area and could easily be perceived as a threat if they're pursuing him. Could it be one of the Agents that he's fighting with? It's hard to say, but whoever it is, they've got a concealed firearm on them when their jacket blows open in the throwing motion.

What's Agent Coulson looking at? We noted that the special effects look good, and that at one point Coulson is immersed in Stark-style hologram tech. But...what is it, and why is he looking at it? We're guessing it has something to do with Rising Tide, if only because of the red color scheme on the logo and the high-tech look of the Rising Tide viral site. Does Coulson's "Spy Vs. Spy" remark mean anything? Could it be that they're going to use HYDRA or some other organization in the show as a foil to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Certainly you want to be careful not to tread too much on territory already pretty well-worn by Chuck, which wasn't exactly a ratings smash, but I can see that being a season finale reveal. Either way, it's interesting to wonder in what context that was meant, and whether he was being literal--whether S.H.I.E.L.D. has an opposite number that they've been squaring off against. How much "super" will feature in the series? Alright, so we've got at least one clearly powered character appearing in the pilot. To what degree will characters with super powers actually play a role in the weekly grind of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? It's hard to say so far, but it looks like it'll be a fair amount. That isn't a bad idea, as it could distinguish itself a bit (not that it needs much help) from the other high-concept comics actioner on TV, The CW's Arrow. Of course, the challenge with having any at all is that it has the potential to take over the drama. Just look at how many fans are always demanding "less plot, more zombies from AMC's The Walking Dead.