Avengers: Infinity War writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely say they don’t envy Marvel TV having to deal with the consequences of Thanos’ attack on Earth. This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the franchise officially kicking off in 2008’s Iron Man. Now 10 years on, the sprawling superhero universe spans 18 movies (soon to be 19) and television series across ABC, Netflix, and Hulu with more in development. However, the first TV series launched as part of the MCU was Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which ostensibly worked as a spinoff of The Avengers.

Over the course of its five season run, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has continually honored the movie side with either direct tie-ins or storylines that loosely mirror the films. While other Marvel TV series have been somewhat looser with their connection to the films, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. generally deals with the fallout of the movies. Now, with Avengers: Infinity War proving to be a massive event in the MCU, though, the TV series may struggle to deal with the ramifications of the Avengers’ exploits.

In an interview with Screen Rant during the press junket for Avengers: Infinity War, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely said they don’t envy the TV shows for having to deal with the fallout from the Avengers’ battle with Thanos. Here’s what they said:

Fans still don’t know what exactly happens in Avengers: Infinity War - and won’t until the movie hits theaters this weekend - but we know it will be big. Considering the scale of the movie, and the fact that all the known heroes in the MCU will unite to take on Thanos, it’s safe to assume the film’s events will have a major impact on the world. Exactly how that’s reflected across Marvel TV’s slate of shows remains to be seen. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is dealing with their own apocalyptic situation (which itself may be the show’s way of honoring Infinity War), but it’s unclear if any of the Netflix series will acknowledge the actions of the Avengers.

Markus: I don’t envy them when this movie comes out for one thing, because the…

McFeely: Ripple effect.

Markus: Consequences and they’re, wow!

For their part, Marvel TV’s more recent series have been largely separate from the rest of the MCU. Hulu’s Runaways and upcoming Freeform show Cloak & Dagger operate in their own corners of the world, concerning themselves more with their own characters than the Avengers. It certainly worked for Runaways, which was well received by critics and fans alike, but fans still wonder about the continuity of the MCU and how, as Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb likes to say, “It’s all connected.” 

If Avengers: Infinity War is as massive as McFeely and Markus hint, it will be difficult for the Marvel TV shows to ignore it. But if they deal with it, and how they do, remains to be seen. Until then, fans will get to see the movie this Friday, and they can speculate about the consequences of Avengers: Infinity War on the MCU.

Next: Why Marvel TV Characters Won’t Be In Infinity War

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