Marvel had a few big announcements saved up for New York Comic Con this past weekend, one of which was related to the upcoming Marvel live-action TV series set in The Avengers universe. We already knew that Joss Whedon would be overseeing the show for ABC and that it would revolve around the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as opposed to the various superheroes from the Marvel films. Now they have confirmed that Joss Whedon will co-write the pilot with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen (both of whom worked with him on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and Dollhouse), and the pilot will also get some star power in the form of Clark Gregg reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson. Of course, whether or not this is actually a big deal is probably a matter of opinion, but I think it’s safe to say that it will make at least a few people very happy.

Warning: spoilers for The Avengers lie after the jump.

Clark Gregg made a surprise appearance at NYCC where he confirmed that he would appear in the pilot for Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. (which now seems to be the official show title). Gregg appeared in all of the Marvel films leading up to The Avengers with the exception of The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: The First Avenger, before being killed off in dramatic fashion in The Avengers. Many fans were sad to see him go, so to have him return as Agent Coulson could be a big draw for the series.

What is currently unclear is whether or not he would have a recurring role on the show or just a one-time appearance. It sounds like it will probably be a one-time thing, but Gregg does come from a TV background, having been a regular on both The West Wing and The New Adventures of Old Christine. If they need a relatively big name to anchor the series, he seems like an appropriate choice, it probably just depends on where the show will fall in the chronology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Does this announcement make you more excited about the S.H.I.E.L.D. series or is it shaping up to be pretty underwhelming?