This Week’s Controversial SHIELD Poster Features Ward’s Kissy Face
Well, Ward's back.
Each week, Entertainment Weekly and Marvel are releasing a new SHIELD poster by a prominent artist for purchase at the Marvel shop as part of their “Art of Level 7” promotion. So far we’ve seen posters featuring Raina and Sif, but this week we get a look at the as-yet MIA Agent Ward.
This Ward tease is by Annie Wu, who will soon be doing the art on DC’s new Black Canary girl-band series (heck yes). According to SHIELD EP Jeff Bell, the poster “suggests love is in the air” for Ward and Agent 33, a former SHIELD agent currently working for Hydra. Said Bell,
Well, what I love about the poster is he’s holding two women. And if you focus on the red you see the one, but if you focus on the blue, you see the other. And half of that goes to Agent 33, who has two faces—who doesn’t know who she is, who has no real memory of that. And it also goes to the fact that she’s been imitating other people as she did with Agent May. And so it’s sort of this dichotomy in the romantic way the red girl is looking up at him, and the way the blue one leans into him like he’s all dreamy. I mean, it’s really twisted. [Laughs]
Of course, the poster (and what is suggests) is causing some controversy online, seeing as Ward has a history of emotional manipulation in relationships and Agent 33 is clearly suffering and doesn’t currently have much agency. But Arune Singh, Marvel’s Executive Director of TV Communications, has assured fans that everything is above-board:
@Wandering_Lily @SoCalRamen – everyone has their own POV, right? And I totally understand the concerns raised. But I do believe Ward…
— Arune Singh (@arune) March 19, 2015
@Wandering_Lily @SoCalRamen – has a smart, compelling and respectful arc this season that’ll be exciting for all viewers.
— Arune Singh (@arune) March 19, 2015
What do you think of the newest poster?
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