ABC has announced that they are renewing the popular Marvel show "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." for a seventh season. Deadline reports that the new season will consist of 13 episodes, which is the same for the upcoming sixth season.

The decision for the renewal is likely connected to the cast's option coming up. ABC ordering season seven ahead of time would allow for the studio to film the seasons back-to-back, which eliminates some of the costs. The upcoming sixth season is differing a bit from previous seasons. The upcoming season is debuting in the summer of 2019, instead of the regular fall season.

The show is going from 22 episodes to 13 episodes in the upcoming season.

'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' prepared to end with season five

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." showrunners Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen previously said they were unsure whether or not the show would be renewed, so they made the season five finale serve as the series finale in case they didn't receive a renewal. Tancharoen told Comic Book that they were ready to tell more story but also prepared to close out the series.

Jed Whedon also said that you need to leave viewers the idea that there are more stories to tell and then it's about whether or not they will be told. ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey previously called the current season the most creative to date.

Dungey also highlighted the show's strong fan base. While the series does not perform well with Live and same day ratings, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." continues to excel in on-demand viewing. The renewal comes as news of Marvel leader Stan Lee's death hits fans and Marvel cast members, who all are paying tribute.

'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' continues to remain a popular show for Marvel and Disney

Marvel's hit show "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." stars Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Jeff Ward. Among those not named as part of the renewal announcement is Clark Gregg, who has been a part of the hit series since the first season as the character Agent Phil Coulson.

His final appearance was at the season five finale, spending his remaining days in Tahiti. It's possible we are done with the Coulson story.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the renewal comes as Netflix's Marvel catalog is slowly getting smaller and Disney works at creating their own original content for their upcoming streaming platform, including a Loki based miniseries starring Tom Hiddleston as Loki. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is proving to be one of the strongest series from Marvel. This renewal keeps it on the air at least through 2020. It continues to draw an audience across the globe.
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