Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has had plenty of characters coming and going over the years, and even death isn't always enough to stop characters coming back in some way or other. Now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is poised to bring back a familiar face who has been gone from the series since way back in Season 3, when he made a heartbreaking departure from the main group. Lance Hunter will be back in action.
Nick Blood will officially return to reprise his fan-favorite role as Lance Hunter in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5. EW reports that details about why Hunter will be back in the mix or even how much of him we'll see in Season 5 are scarce at this point, so we may have a while to wait before we get the scoop on his return. Still, after many of us got our hopes up in Season 4 that a certain picture pointed to Hunter returning in the framework or elsewhere, the confirmation that Nick Blood will be back is definitely good news.
Hunter made his exit from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Season 3, and while it was a big bummer at the time for fans that he would be gone, at least we could count on seeing him elsewhere. Nick Blood was slated to star with Adrianne Palicki in a S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff, called Most Wanted, and it seemed like a sure thing that we'd get to see Hunter and Bobbi leading their own adventures. A pilot was produced, and a couple of exciting actors were cast for support roles. Then, ABC pulled the plug on Most Wanted, and we've had to wonder about Hunter and Bobbi ever since.
Unfortunately, the manner of their exit meant that they couldn't simply be brought back into the fold at S.H.I.E.L.D. In their final episode, they were undercover when they got stuck in the middle of a crisis that could have resulted in war between the United States and Russia. To prevent war from breaking out, Hunter and Bobbi maintained their cover and went on the run, denying any and all connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson had no choice but to disavow them. Hunter's return in Season 5 probably means that he'll either sneak in unofficially or have his sticky situation resolved.
Although we know that Nick Blood will be back as Lance Hunter, there's no word about Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse. Palicki nabbed a leading role in Fox's new Seth MacFarlane comedy The Orville, and she may not be available to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC, even in a reduced role. I only hope S.H.I.E.L.D. won't kill Bobbi off-screen to explain why Hunter is solo if Palicki doesn't return.
We'll find out once Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 hits the airwaves, although fans will have to wait a little longer than usual this TV season to see what happens next. S.H.I.E.L.D. is moving to a new time slot on Fridays for Season 5, and the premiere has been pushed back in order for Inhumans to air. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule for everything you'll be able to watch in the coming weeks.
