Disney reportedly refused to let ABC cancel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Like many Marvel fans, I made a point of checking out Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. upon its debut on ABC in 2013, and, unfortunately, like many other Marvel fans, I checked out from the series after just a few episodes. I hear that the series improved greatly as it went on, but for whatever reason, I haven't been back. Ratings for the series have steadily declined since its debut, and, with the fourth season hitting all-time lows, many fans were wondering whether they'd seen the last of Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his band of agents. ABC renewed the series for the fifth season just prior to the fourth season finale, but if they'd had their way, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would have been ended up on the chopping block.

If you're an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fan, you can apparently thank Disney for the choice to renew the series. According to a report from Variety, ABC was facing the challenge of having to demonstrate growth across the board in order to dig themselves out of their ratings rut, and the network was ready to make some cuts. One of those cuts would have been Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Disney apparently pulled rank and ordered the show's renewal. The fifth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is expected to begin airing later this year after Inhumans finishes its eight-episode run, but the series has now been moved to a Friday time-slot instead of the Tuesday time-slot it's occupied since its debut. Ruh oh.

Sound off in the comments below. Are you glad that Disney stepped in to save the series, or should Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been cancelled?