Tradecraft: S.H.I.E.L.D. Has Eyes Everywhere

Variety reports that Iron Man's primary S.H.I.E.L.D. representative, Agent Coulson (remember, despite a larger role in the upcoming sequel, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury didn't appear in the first film until a brief scene after the credits), will pop up in other Marvel films, further uniting the films' comic book-like "shared universe."  Not only will Clark Gregg (the boss in (500) Days of Summer, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' ex on The New Adventures of Old Christine) reprise the role in Iron Man 2; he will also pop up in the Coulson character in Kenneth Brannagh's Thor in 2010.  The trade reiterates that "the character is the latest to appear in multiple Marvel productions as the comicbook company's film division preps for the eventual production of The Avengers [based on the Marvel comic of the same title, and no relation to the TV series spy fans more readily associate with that name], which unites Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor in one pic. Marvel has been keen on brokering deals with actors to make sure auds will recognize characters when they crossover and appear in its other films."  Foremost among those deals, of course, is the nine picture deal with Samuel L. Jackson to portray Fury in multiple pictures, including Thor.  I think it's cool that Marvel is using their spies to hold their universe together! In Marvel's film universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate."