First Teaser Poster for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 Confirms a Cosmic Direction

Expected to launch right after Marvel's eight-episode Inhumans series wraps up, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 should only be weeks away. The series has a panel at New York Comic Con on October 7th, so we should expect details soon. For now, though, the plot for the upcoming season remains a mystery, and Marvel's enjoying dropping tantalizing hints.

Take this new poster, which confirms the eagerly-anticipated cosmic direction for the show's fifth season:

What Do We Know So Far?

Season 4 came to a dramatic close, with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team settling down for a meal and expecting to be arrested. Instead, they were picked up by an unknown, clearly high-tech military organization. We then skipped forward an unspecified amount of time for a fascinating scene in which #ClarkGregg's Phil Coulson woke up in an austere environment, and looked out a window at a stunning space vista. After spending a few moments enjoying the view, Coulson told himself that it was time to get back to work.

It can't be a coincidence that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is heading in a cosmic direction, not least because the series finale is expected to air around the release of 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Fans are speculating that the mysterious military organization is a group known as S.W.O.R.D.. In the comics, S.W.O.R.D. is dedicated to protecting the world from extraterrestrial threats. Season 3 included subtle hints that space exploration and defense had become one and the same in the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion, and it would make sense for the world's governments to have established a new planetary defense team.

This isn't the first time Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has headed into space. Season 3 featured a tremendously effective arc in which #ElizabethHenstridge's Jemma Simmons was stranded on the brooding, dangerous planet of Maveth. The alien world was beautiful designed by CoSA VFX, a digital effects studio #Marvel Television has worked with for years, and was a real highlight of Season 3. Episodes like '4,772 Hours' have really raised the bar for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so the series has a lot to live up to as it takes this new cosmic direction.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that there's going to be a lot more to Season 5 than space. Season 4 came to a close with a major Inhumans arc still unresolved; the Watchdogs had become more dangerous than ever before, with their Superior now living in a host of android bodies, and potentially able to build more Life Model Decoys. Meanwhile, Coulson was forced to make a deal with the devil when he briefly allowed himself to be possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance. He'll have a hefty price to pay for this, and it's likely to involve heading into the inter-dimensional war the Ghost Rider revealed in the last episode.

It's commonly believed that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 will bring the show to an end, and this new cosmic arc is sure to bring things to an explosive close. We'll be expecting news over the next two weeks, building up to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel at #NYCC2017. We'll make sure you stay up to date on the latest news for Marvel's flagship show.