Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. television show is being planned for a fall 2013 debut.
Marvel Entertainment's head of television Jeph Loeb has given a provisional date for the espionage show.
"Working with Joss, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen and Jeffrey Bell is a blast," he told PREVIEWSworld.
"And bringing in Clark Gregg to play Agent Phil Coulson - the best! Hopefully we can be on the air in the fall of 2013 on ABC."
The pilot for the show is planned to go into production in early 2013.
It will star Ming-Na Wen, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge and Brett Dalton as agents of the Marvel Comics espionage organisation.