Ever since it was announced that Marvel favorite Clark Gregg would be returning as Agent Phil Coulson in the upcoming TV series Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D., questions have abounded about where it takes place in the timeline of the films. That's now been put to rest. IGN spoke with ABC President Paul Lee, who said flat out that the series takes place after the events of The Avengers.

“There is no question that it is part of the Marvel Universe. In fact, the story takes place after the battle for New York."

Lee, like Whedon said yesterday, made sure we know the series will take place on it's own terms and be it's own story.

“This is S.H.I.E.L.D. They’re following their own particular stories. There are characters in it, Coulson, who clearly come from Avengers. So it’s part of the world, but we’re going to be very, very careful that we don’t tread on the toes of the features and build a whole new world. And that’s what Joss Whedon does better than anybody else. He’s built a world for us.”

The biggest question that this brings up is how Agent Coulson is around for this series given his unexpected demise in last summer's The Avengers. Life Model Decoys anyone?

The pilot for Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. will begin filming later this month and is expected to air this fall if picked up for series. In the show, Clark Gregg is joined by Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Gemma Simmons, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, and Chloe Bennet as Skye. Joss Whedon will direct the pilot and co-write it with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen.