New character breakdowns for season 6 of Agents of SHIELD give fans their first clues about what to expect from the upcoming season, which begins production this week. Season 5 of Agents of SHIELD ended with a bang. Agent Fitz was tragically killed, though a way exists for him to easily return. The finale also provided a proper sendoff for Agent Coulson, whose death had been teased since the end of season 4.

Unlike past seasons, season 5 wrapped up most of its loose ends, since it was unclear for a while if the series was going to be renewed for season 6. Fortunately for fans, Agents of SHIELD will indeed be back for another season of saving the world, and possibly more.

That Hashtag Show has revealed new casting breakdowns that shed some light on the characters that will be introduced in season 6 of the ABC series. Check them out below.

Considering that only one of the characters in the casting breakdowns is a guest star, one can assume that the rest are either recurring or series regulars, which suggests that most of them will factor heavily into the season’s main storyline. It’s unclear what the team will be up against, but this information seems to indicate that a group of mercenaries will somehow be involved.

The first is a character referred to as JACO. A male in his 30s, with an open ethnicity, and a height of 6’4″ or taller, JACO is described as a silent mercenary who has both brains and brawn, who sounds hyper-intelligent when he speaks. Sounds like a combination of Ward and Fitz if you ask us.

Next up is PAX, a younger male in his 20s, who is a dangerous mercenary like JACO but has a humorous streak to him. Think everyone’s favorite Lance Hunter. Since his departure, his brand of humor has been sorely missing from the team dynamic. PAX could be his replacement.

BUTTERFLY is the third addition, a female in her 20s, described as unpredictable, aloof, spacey, but nonetheless lethal. Like JACO and PAX, BUTTERFLY is slated to be a recurring guest star throughout the season. The unpredictability trait reminds us of last season’s Ruby (Dove Cameron); calculating, erratic, and distant.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has never had a shortage of flawed geniuses, be it heroes like Leopold Fitz or baddies like Calvin Zabo, Season 6 will have its own flawed genius with PROFESSOR L, a brilliant teacher in his 60s who has a positive outlook on humanity but at the same time is disgruntled, bitter, and a mess of a person outside. PROFESSOR L will be a recurring guest star as well.

Lastly, we have an AGENT DAMON, a new SHIELD soldier who is described as being handsome, likable, cool, and funny, but unlike the rest of the characters in this breakdown, and like most SHIELD agents that appear on the show, AGENT DAMON is only slated to appear for one episode.

As Agents of SHIELD is a part of the MCU, the series generally includes a mix of original and comic book-inspired characters. Based on this information, it’s hard to say if any of these characters are directly linked to anyone in Marvel Comics, though the character “Jaco” bears at least some resemblance to the superhero known as Paladin, a former Hero for Hire, Thunderbolt, and member of Silver Sable’s Wild Pack. The identities of Jaco and the others are of course open to speculation. Since no Agents of SHIELD panel has been announced for San Diego Comic-Con 2018, it may be a while before we learn more about them. Aside from the new characters, fans are also awaiting details on the status of Agent Coulson, since his return hasn’t been officially confirmed. Even if Coulson does come back, it may not be as a series regular. Coulson’s absence from the main cast would surely provide a major shakeup for the series going forward.

More: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fixes Ghost’s Confusing Backstory

Season 6 of Agents of SHIELD premieres in summer 2019 on ABC.

Source: That Hashtag Show