Diving Into Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Photo: ABC/Walt Disney Studios
Bringing the epic storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the small screen is no easy feat, but that’s exactly what Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done. The show has not only been able to capture the buoyant, optimistic tone of the MCU franchise with its new set of compelling characters, but also flesh out storylines from the films, adding even more depth to a rich and detailed narrative universe.
From the resurrection of fallen hero Phil Coulson to the meteoric rise of Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has become a critical component of the Marvel universe. The show doesn’t just portray the aftermath of events from the movies — it features compelling stories that put it on equal footing with some of the MCU’s biggest hits.
The saga of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division premiered on ABC back in 2013, and thanks to the efforts of exec producer Joss Whedon, the show had an eventful run aided by its big screen source material. With the final season set to premiere on May 27, Ranker Insights is taking a deep dive into Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., exploring the fanbase and diversity of its audience.
WHAT AMERICAN AUDIENCES THINK
Photo: Ranker
Despite a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, most of the country is split on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., showing a slight skew towards dislikes over likes in most of the country.
The Northeast (59% approval) and Midwest (57% approval) have a more positive take on the ABC show than most of the nation. A majority of the United States are split on their opinion of the sci-fier, especially in the Southwest (48% approval) and Mountain areas (52% approval).
The West (46% approval) and the South (42% approval) are most likely to be lukewarm on the long-running superhero saga, skewing lower in approval than the rest of the country.
FANS' TOP SHOWS
Fans of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. enjoy other small-screen epics with a lot of action, and especially other episodic superhero shenanigans from Marvel. They are 9X more likely to watch Agent Carter and Daredevil, as well as 7X more likely to love Jessica Jones.
But most Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans aren’t Marvel purists — they’re just as likely to tune into the DC Comics Universe in order to get their fill of action and adventure. Audiences are almost 9X more likely to watch The Flash and 8X more likely to watch The Arrow, both of which are part of the CW’s programming. They’re also 8X more likely to check out Gotham and 7X more likely to love CW's Legends of Tomorrow.
Fans are also willing to check out any comic book adaptation, big or small, that streams on TV, as well as most big-name sci-fi properties. This includes Cloak & Dagger, iZombie, Seth MacFarlane’s Orville, and NBC's Constantine.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans are more likely to scoff at conventional sitcoms, reality game shows, and straight-forward primetime dramas. For example, S.H.I.E.L.D. audiences are less likely to tune into The Good Wife, the rebooted 90210, or America's Got Talent.
Photo: ABC/Walt Disney Studios
FANS AT THE MOVIES
Photo: ABC/Walt Disney Studios
Marvel fans love Marvel movies. It's just that simple.
If they don't already own the steel case Blu-ray, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans are 3X more likely to watch The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy. They’re also just as likely to enjoy Fox's foray into the world of Marvel comics, X-Men: Days of Future Past.
If superheroes aren’t in the mix, any action will do just fine. Fans of the show are also 3X more likely than the average TV fan to love classic action flicks like The Terminator, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Gladiator, and Braveheart. But S.H.I.E.L.D. audiences also have their sweet side: they’re just as likely to watch Disney-Pixar fare like Wall-E, The Incredibles, and Cars as any of these explosive action-adventures.
HOW IT RANKS
On Ranker, fans voted Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 in Sci-Fi Shows You Should Be Watching Now and #11 in The Best Shows Currently On The Air. It was also voted #23 in The Best Sci-Fi Television Series Of All Time and #96 for Best TV Shows To Binge Watch. It was also voted #12 for The Best Current Dramatic TV Shows.
Photo: ABC/Walt Disney Studios