Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been off the air for a few years now, though it’s still widely discussed in some circles. The series is partly well known for allowing fans weekly visits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in between the franchise’s big-screen installments. Though it drew from storylines initiated in the movies, it also established lore of its own, and that was nearly expanded upon through a spinoff series. S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to get a sister program called Marvel’s Most Wanted, though it didn’t pan out. With that, we’re going to discuss the story behind the project, including why it never made it to the small screen.
The spinoff centered on two characters from S.H.I.E.L.D. One of them was Bobbi Morse a.k.a. Mockingbird, who was played brilliantly by Adrienne Palicki. Alongside her would’ve been the character’s ex-husband, the droll mercenary Lance Hunter, portrayed by Nick Blood. Palicki and Blood had great chemistry and became fan-favorites on the parent show. So the notion of putting them at the forefront of their own series was wise (on paper). So what happened? Well, it’s time to discuss just that.
When And How Were Bobbi And Hunter Written Out Of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Of course, with the characters getting a new show, the actors weren’t going to be able to pull double duty, so Bobbi and Hunter had to be ushered out of S.H.I.E.L.D. That happened during the Season 3 episode “Parting Shot,” (which is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription). The 2013 installment uses both flashbacks and flashforwards, with the former focusing on Phil Coulson and his team’s efforts to thwart HYDRA operative Gideon Malick’s collusion with Russian officials to create an Inhuman sanctuary. The mission doesn’t go as planned, though Hunter and Bobbi manage to kill the antagonistic Anton Petrov and Androvech, respectively. However, the ordeal ends with the two being arrested by Russian agents.
The flashforwards show the pair being interrogated in the hopes that they admit their connection to the titular agency and confess to killing the Russian bigwigs. That way, the country would have cause to wage war on the United States. Morse and Hunter contend that they were on vacation and simply got wrapped up in the incident by chance. And in order to keep their allies safe and prevent a war, they hold onto that narrative even when Coulson offers to extract them. The two are ultimately saved from death by Matthew Ellis and Phil Coulson (posing as an Advanced Threat Containment Unit aid). However, as part of the deal to not have them executed, Hunter and Bobbi must agree to never work for the U.S. government again – a condition they agree to.
Relieved of their positions, the two later sit in a bar and discuss what kind of future they might have now that agents from multiple countries will likely be monitoring them moving forward. While doing so, they spot their friends – Coulson, Melinda May, Daisy “Quake” Johnson, Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz. The spies are all situated around different parts of the pub and silently say goodbye to their colleagues by taking “parting shots.” It’s still one of the most bittersweet moments in the show’s entire seven-season run and was a solid send-off for the two beloved characters. But again, there was meant to be more to their story.
How Did Marvel’s Most Wanted Come Together And Why Didn’t The Series Happen?
Some may not remember, but Mockingbird alone was originally set to get a show, which was mentioned as being in development back in 2011 – two years before Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. hit ABC. Plans apparently changed by 2015 though, as principal Agents cast members Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood were eyed for a spinoff. In May of that year, the network passed on the production, and it was decided that the characters would remain on the parent show. S.H.I.E.L.D showrunner Jeffrey Bell and writer Paul Zbyszewski, who had been spearheading the project, didn’t give up on it, though. And by early 2016, the spinoff received great news when it was reported that a pilot had been ordered.
Production on the pilot began shortly after “Parting Shot” was filmed, as Jeffrey Bell confirmed to IGN back in 2016. The production was directed by Billy Gierhart, whose credits include Torchwood, S.W.A.T. and The Walking Dead. The story – written by Bell and Paul Zbyszewski – centered on Adrianne Palicki’s Bobbi and Nick Blood’s Hunter dealing with a conspiracy surrounding them. Unable to call on their former allies for help, they form an alliance with a treasure hunter (and classic Marvel Comics character) named Nick Fortune for protection. Fortune was played by veteran actor Delroy Lindo (who’s currently part of Marvel’s Blade cast). Rounding out the roster of talent were Fernanda Andrade as Christina Santos, Fortune’s niece, and The Mummy’s Oded Fehr as an unnamed villain.
Filming was reportedly completed in late March, with the pilot later submitted to the studio for consideration. Unfortunately, when it came time for TV upfronts in 2016, the alphabet network decided to pass on it. Channing Dungey – who was the head of ABC Entertainment Group at the time – explained the rationale behind the decision while speaking before the Television Critics’ Association that year (via /Film):
Most Wanted, ultimately at the end of the day, did not feel as strong as some of the other pilots that we shot. We talked about it with Marvel and we all came to an agreement that we want to figure out what the next show is that we do together, is something that we all feel is as creatively strong as it can be.
The exec also mentioned that she and the network “certainly [were] open” to Marvel finding another home for the show. That never came to be, however, and the pilot went unaired.
What Happened In The Aftermath Of The Spinoff’s Demise?
Amid the spinoff’s development, various fans kept up with its progress and were seemingly keen on the idea. So many were, as a result, disappointed when the network chose to scrap the idea. Around late summer 2016, fans launched a petition to save the spinoff. The petition notched 2,269 signatures before it closed, but the efforts of those who participated ultimately proved to be futile.
Adrianne Palicki sadly never reappeared on Agents as Bobbi Morse, she did express interest in playing Mockingbird again in 2019. Nick Blood, however, did reprise his role as Hunter in the Season 5 episode “Rewind,” which aired in 2017. In it, he assists former comrade Leo Fitz in escaping a military facility and obtaining a cryogenic pod so he can join his friends, who had been transported to the year 2091. Amid the episode, Hunter confirms to Fitz that he and Bobbi are still together but take breaks from each other on occasion. And before Fitz puts himself to sleep in the pod, Hunter promises that he and Bobbi will look after Inhuman Robin Hinton and her mother, Polly.
It’s a shame that that ended up being the last viewers ever got to see or hear for Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter within this continuity. Personally, I would’ve loved to have seen them forge their own paths in Most Wanted. Things happen as they do for a reason, I suppose, though. If anything, I’m just happy I can still revisit the characters’ best episodes on Disney+.
