ABC has renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a sixth season following Season 5’s last episode designed to play as either a series or season finale.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. comes with a couple caveats that the show’s fan base will have to adjust to. Both have the potential to help carry the franchise into Season 7 and beyond.
The Season 6 renewal comes attached with a shortened 13 episodes rather than the traditional 23 episodes a full season would contain. Fewer episodes puts Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on par with Marvel’s Netflix series for a season’s episode count, and should translate into tighter storytelling.
ABC could have launched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 in January or February where most shortened seasons fall. Instead, the continuing adventures of S.H.I.E.L.D. are slated to debut in Summer 2019.
The reasoning behind the scheduling shift is to move S.H.I.E.L.D. into a less competitive time of year where its fans and potential new fans, already bombarded by entertainment during the spring and fall, will have fewer distractions.
Per TV Line, ABC president Channing Dungey has confirmed that the events of Avengers 4, due in theaters before Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 premieres, will not have an effect on its small screen counterpart. That could be lip service as S.H.I.E.L.D. has generally referenced big events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Thanos attack in Avengers: Infinity War.
Source: Marvel
