In what I would imagine is a very good sign for the future of the series, ABC has officially released a new name and description for Joss Whedon’s planned S.H.I.E.L.D. series based on The Avengers. From now on, it will officially be named Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

ABC issued the following press release about the series:

Joss Whedon (MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) shows us not all heroes are super with MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fresh from his role in the summer’s box office smash, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) returns to the worldwide law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D.  He puts together a small, highly trained, team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown.  That team consists of straight arrow Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), an expert in combat and espionage; pilot and martial artist Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen); and brilliant if socially awkward scientists Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). They’ll be joined by civilian new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet).

Prepare for an epic adventure that showcases the hope and wonder of the human spirit. This is a world of Super Heroes, aliens and the unusual – of action, spectacle and world spanning stories. The show will speak to the human condition through the lens of our very human, non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D agents – that together we are greater than we are apart, and that we can make a difference in the world.

Executive Produced and co-written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse, Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), Jeffrey Bell (Angel, Alias) and Jeph Loeb (Smallville, Lost, Heroes) comes Marvel’s first live-action TV series, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

A new name, an official description and an announced cast are probably all good signs for a series that hasn’t officially been picked up yet. I’d imagine that the only thing holding up the official greenlighting of the series is the budget and what stories will be covered in the new series.

Hopefully we get Agents of SHIELD (and more Coulson) soon. Just as long as Whedon gets to run the show without any outside interference from ABC or Marvel. He’s a pretty good show runner when given the chance. Though if Marvel insisted on using a superhero for a one-off adventure, I don’t think anyone would argue.