ER Alum Ming-Na Wen Joins Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. Television Series

Marvel's plans to transition their popular Cinematic Universe to television will begin with The Avengers' director Joss Whedon's upcoming series based around the clandestine government agency S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Avengers 2 is scheduled for theatrical release in 2015, but before production begins writer/director Joss Whedon has been tasked with bringing Marvel's Cinematic Universe to the small screen. A TV series based on the happenings of S.H.I.E.L.D. -- the U.S. government's clandestine Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division -- has been greenlit and will air on ABC. Production on the live-action project is set to begin immediately. Whedon will write and direct the pilot and executive produce the series alongside his brother Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb. Originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, S.H.I.E.L.D. made its first comic book appearance in Strange Tales #135 in 1965.

Clark Gregg, who played S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson in four Marvel Studios films and was (allegedly) killed off in The Avengers, has officially be signed onto the project but in an unknown capacity. Several weeks ago, the descriptions of four original characters set to appear in the series were made public, and now one of those roles has been filled.

Ming-Na Wen (ER) will play Agent Melinda May, a soulful and slightly damaged combat veteran, an ace pilot, weapons expert and a soldier who can — and has — gone beyond the call of duty. Wen most recently appeared in the SyFy series Eureka and SGU Stargate Universe.