A massive ratings decline in the second week of ABC’s new "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." — down 34% in the key 18-49 demo in preliminary Nielsen figures — is creating anxiety among Joss Whedon fans, reports Scott Collins in the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker.

After losing more than one-third of its audience, some among Whedon’s cult-like following are wondering whether "writer-producer Whedon’s TV curse will remain intact," Collins writes.

Despite huge success early on with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," Whedon has since struggled to hit upon a winning formula for a TV show. Both "Firefly" and "Dollhouse" survived only briefly on Fox, with fans complaining that the shows were pulled too soon.

But some critics and fans have had a negative reaction to "Agents," with Collins noting that one Reddit poster called the drama "disappointing and unoriginal."

In contrast to his recent TV struggles, Whedon has found success at the box office, including his feature "The Avengers."

Joss Whedon