The strange connection between Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Seattle International Film Festival continues. Every year Seattle welcomes films from around the world along with several actors and directors supporting their independent productions. Two festivals in row brought multiple stars from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe aligning on the Red Carpet in the Emerald City.
Here is the case of S.I.F.F. (not Lady Sif from Thor) and S.H.I.E.L.D. declassified:
ABC gave the green light to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series in Spring of 2013 (which resurrected Agent Phil Coulson) just before Clark Gregg walked the red carpet at the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival. Gregg joined The Avengers director Joss Whedon along with Nathan Fillion , Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof for the opening night screening of Much Ado About Nothing. Acker would go on to guest star on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Coulson’s lost love referred to in The Avengers.
Later during the 2013 festival, Washington native Kyle MacLachlan was honored with a SIFF lifetime achievement and greeted fans before a screening of the pilot episode of Twin Peaks, filmed and set in Washington. Today it was announced MacLachlan will join the cast of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. next season as “The Doctor” (more on his mystery role here.)
But wait there’s more….
Earlier this year, Marvel fans learned ABC picked up an Agent Carter series starring Hayley Atwell, reprising her role from the Captain America films. The series will explore the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D. through the career of the fan favorite character, Peggy Carter.
Then Atwell walked the red carpet at the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival for the opening night film: Jimi: All Is By My Side, in which she played the muse of Seattle native and rock legend Jimi Hendrix.
Clark Gregg returned to SIFF 2014 to screen Trust Me, a film he wrote and directed which included Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2.) Now to get even more geeky about SIFF 2014, Chiwetel Ejiofor was honored for his acting career and the festival screened Serenity. Ejiofor played the villain in that sci-fi film based on the beloved series, Firefly, by The Avengers director Joss Whedon. Ejiofor has not joined the Marvel universe yet, but his role in the Whedonverse is good enough for Seattle geeks.
After Red Carpet appearances by actors who play Agent Coulson, Agent Carter, plus Joss Whedon, Kyle MacLachlan – what does SIFF and S.H.I.E.L.D. have planned for 2015? Movie fans, S.H.I.E.L.D. devotees and Marvel obsessives should anxiously await to see what aligns next!
By Editor