Marvel dropped a bombshell at their New York Comic-Con panel today, announcing Clark Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson in Joss Whedon's live-action television series Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. The actor made a surprise appearance at the Marvel Television Presents panel, promoting Ultimate Spiderman.

This comes as welcome news, especially after Gregg's well-received appearances in recent Marvel films. Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. will be produced by Joss and Jed Whedon, along with Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.

[thanks, austin!]

Only the Earth's Tiniest Heroes can assemble aboard this small-scale replica of the SHIELD Helicarrier, but it's flying and ready for action.

It's also a lot easier to fix the turbines.

[buzzfeed]

Samuel L. Jackson recently responded to questions about a possible Nick Fury movie by suggesting that a James Bond-style spy film including the whole S.H.I.E.L.D. team would be more interesting.

Jackson:

Natasha (The Black Widow) is part of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawkeye is part of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I couldn't do a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie without those two people. They're essential elements of what's there. Now we know Agent [Maria] Hill is an essential element of S.H.I.E.L.D. so she would have to be there. And I'm still not sure if she's the eyes and ears of the council hanging around inside their place and telling people, 'We've got these superheroes over here!' She wants my job. I can tell. She's ambitious.

He went on to say such a movie would be "like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with good toys."

If it has Benedict Cumberbatch, too, then count me in!

Seriously, though, does it sound like Jackson has already given a S.H.I.E.L.D. flick some significant thought? Maybe none of the individual characters could carry a whole superhero movie, but a team-up flick featuring the agents might be worth some mighty Marvel money.

[comicbookmovie.]