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Marvel Studios Countdown: There's a New Marvel TV Show But Nobody Is Talking About It
Did you know there was brand new Marvel Cinematic Universe content at the ready? Marvel quietly unleashed an all-new mini-series last week and when has Marvel ever done anything quietly? Marvel’s Slingshot, a small scale Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off, was released on December 13 and if it wasn’t for an advertisement on Hulu, it would’ve flown right under our radar. Even the Marvel One-Shots got some measure of attention (“Item 47,” “All Hail the King,” to name a few), but Slingshot, even with its direct ties to Captain America: Civil War, appeared without much fanfare or fan discussion.
Some of the blame has to be laid on the character herself. Slingshot aka Yo-Yo Rodriguez (Yo-Yo in the comics; Elena on the show) is a relatively new character with very few appearances under her belt and little to no real traction amongst Marvel faithful. Played by Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Slingshot joined the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast at the end of Season Three, earlier last year. In the comics, she first appeared in 2008’s Mighty Avengers #13, handpicked by Daisy Johnson (aka Quake) to be on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s super-powered Secret Warriors team.
That’s very close to how she’s presented on ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D., though it seems they’ve changed her from a mutant to an Inhuman to fit the MCU. Her abilities are the same as in the comics; she has super-speed but has to slingshot back to her point of origin from whenever she started running. Like the other super-powered folks on the show, she does not get to wear a cool costume.
The six episode series (each episode is just four minutes long) sees Slingshot aligning herself to the Sokovia Accords (as seen in Captain America: Civil War), perhaps pressured by Agent Coulson to sign. Yet, she’s not wholly comfortable being at the government’s beck and call. Agreeing to the accords throws her into opposition with her own compulsion to investigate Jeffrey Mace, who appears to be an anti-Inhuman activist (he has a weapon that looks a lot like a TV version of Marvel’s Ultimate Nullifier). Some eagle-eyed Marvel readers might recognize Mace’s name from the comics, as Captain America’s original replacement The Patriot.
These references to a broader tapestry of the Marvel Universe make it of interest to fans, but the series assumes you already watch a lot of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s the required Stan Lee cameo and an episode directed by former artist and Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada amongst the easter eggs. Admittedly, for a show that’s featured bigger names like Deathlok, Mockingbird, and Ghost Rider, one wonders why Marvel chose Slingshot for a project like this one.
It’s an interesting experiment in web-exclusive content, and though the execution is a little half-baked (it’s not particularly strong at action or at introducing you to a character), it’s still interesting to think how it might be used for future, and frankly, more beloved characters. It also provides a slightly different perspective on the Sokovia Accords, so if you’re an MCU completist, it might be worth your while.
You can watch all the episodes of Slingshot, straight from Marvel’s YouTube channel, below.
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