Marvel's
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns for a shortened 13-episode sixth season this summer, with the series' first official
trailer teasing new adventures on both Earth and in deep space set in a post-Phil Coulson environment. However, the end of the trailer revealed a surprising twist: Clark Gregg is returning to the series, but not as everyone's favorite member of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Gregg recently spoke with
ET to address the mystery of his new character and the series' upcoming sixth season. Gregg revealed that news of the show's renewal for two additional seasons came as a surprise to everyone.
We had this really wonderful end of season five -- the [season finale] episode was even called 'The End' -- and we had reason to believe that we were done. We’d had these wonderful five seasons and a very tight family, and it was very, very sad. And then they called everyone up and said, we’re actually gonna do two more short, 13-episode seasons, which is really the number we thought we always could do best at.
Gregg said he would only return to the show if he was presented a role that was "
something special, something very different" from playing Coulson, saying "
I didn't want to just kind of like, go, 'Oh, never mind, it turns out he was OK all along." Gregg said the mystery of 'Not Phil Coulson' and why he looks like that is groundbreaking and wild, and revealed some key information about his identity.
It may be a little distrubing, but this is a very different person. There's a big mystery here. And I think that this person is as surprised as they are, that they seem to recognize his face... I probably wasn't supposed to say that!
Gregg also shared some information about where Season 6 begins, confirming that half of Team S.H.I.E.L.D. will be on Earth, led by Mack as the new Director and dealing with strange destructive anomalies caused by a familiar face. Meanwhile, the other half of the team will be in deep space searching for cryo Fitz and Enoch.
I know that season six starts out with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team on Earth, grieving, trying to take on on the duties of S.H.I.E.L.D. and dealing with these strange anomalies that have wreaked mass chaos, and they seem to get some images of people from somewhere else who are committing these things. The other half of the team is off in space, looking for the frozen Fitz from the future... And suddenly, it becomes clear that one of these people is wearing a very familiar face.
Gregg finally teased the show's new creative direction following the conclusion of Season 5, indicating that the series will once again reinvent itself, something the series is known for successfully doing time and time again. "That’s what I like about the show. They have a great bravery in terms of throwing out all the rules and taking risks. And they’ve really taken one this year."