Marvel superheroes have become a constant presence on cinema screens in recent years, and that looks set to continue with another eight films based on Marvel characters planned over the next 24 months. Fans eagerly anticipating next month's Thor: The Dark World might find some solace in the new TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and even those fed up of constant superhero films might even find a few things of interest here.

The programme will certainly feature some superpowered characters, but the main focus will be on the non-super agents of fictional organisation S.H.I.E.L.D.: the fictional law enforcement unit led Nick Fury. The lead in the show is Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson - who most viewers will remember as the guy killed by Loki in The Avengers film. His 'resurrection' is set to be a core mystery of the new series, as he puts together a group of elite but less familiar agents to investigate cases of potential superpowered folk. 

While the show promises plenty of Marvel lore and expansions on the film series, the show will hopefully offer more than just a whole lot of fan service. The main draw for many will be the participation of Joss Whedon, the man behind Buffy and Firefly. Even though he's busy developing the 2015 Avengers sequel, this marks the cult creator's first major TV project since the cruelly cancelled Dollhouse. Although the level of his participation remains a little unclear - he did write the pilot - the show will undoubtedly benefit from the involvement of his wider team of writers and collaborators, such as his brother Jed.

Until Joss' new found success as director of The Avengers, it seemed as if any of his TV shows were doomed to early cancellation. That doesn't look like it will be a concern here: the show launched earlier this week in the US to over 12 million viewers, the highest rated network premiere in four years. The Marvel name alone should help it enjoy a healthy audience for a few seasons at least. 

This isn't the first time Marvel has made a TV show. As well as the many animated series, there have been live action versions of the Hulk, Spider-Man and Blade. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will mark their first major effort since their renewed commercial popularity, however. We don't expect it to have anything on Japanese Spider-Man (yes, it exists, as the video below illustrates in no uncertain terms), but we'll find out on Channel 4 tonight at 8 PM.

(Image: Marvel)