ABC boss loves Joss Whedon's 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' pilot

Whedonites will be glad to know that Paul Lee, ABC's entertainment president, thinks that the cult writer-director's buzzed-about Marvel adaptation, "S.H.I.E.L.D.," is likely to get a series order.

"We're very hopeful that's going to go to series. … It's a great script," Lee told reporters at the Television Critics Association's press tour Thursday.

The pilot is "very Joss," Lee said of the "Avengers"-related project, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"You know how Joss is so high, low? He's able to be intense and epic and suddenly funny and silly. He's got that ability to be super-entertaining and yet super-educated."

The ABC boss said he believes that Whedon's version of the Marvel Universe's spy agency tale will attract women as well as men.

"Marvel has the ability to bring the whole family around it," Lee said. "Joss has great relationships around it. There's a lot of real funny male-female relationships and flirtations, but it's also Joss and Marvel, so there's a lot of action to it."

"E.R.'s" Ming-Na will play Agent Melinda May, while Clark Gregg will reprise his "Avengers" role as Agent Coulson.