Agents of SHIELD: Grant Ward Returns in New Season 4 Photos

CBR

By Meagan Damore

Published Mar 20, 2017

New photos from What If, the next episode of Agents of SHIELD, reveal the Framework's version of Grant Ward, Daisy Johnson and Leo Fitz.

The infamous Grant Ward is back! In "Self Control," the last episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", Daisy and Simmons entered the Framework, a virtual world not unlike “The Matrix.” Now, in "What If," they will encounter a world of Aida's design, and Daisy will run into a dark figure from her past: Grant Ward.

A few new photos from the episode show Ward in action, though not the kind of action "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." fans are used to. In the photo, Ward is dressed in a suit, with a green tie -- an appropriate color for a Hydra agent, no less. It appears that he is interrogating someone with Daisy's help, as another photo shows her in the same room with a folder that bears the Hydra logo. However, it isn't quite clear who the subject of their interrogation is.

Seeing as Ward was a devout Hydra agent, it seems like he’ll be thriving in the world of the Framework. After all, "Self Control" closed with an ominous tease of Hydra’s resurgence, as May was seen in the Triskelion, which bore the Hydra logo. It’s unclear what role Hydra will play, though it’s sure to be a big one and Ward will likely be a part of it.

Ward has been a longtime villain on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” In the show’s first season, he was revealed to be a Hydra mole within S.H.I.E.L.D. Nevertheless, he continued his obsession with Daisy and S.H.I.E.L.D., eventually murdering Coulson’s love interest Rosalind “Roz” Price in cold blood. Coulson got his revenge in Season 3 when he killed Ward on the planet Maveth, but that wasn’t the end for Brett Dalton. Ward’s body became possessed by an ancient Inhuman called Hive, who used his mind-control powers to influence the Inhumans around him. Hive was eventually destroyed, and the threat of Ward appeared over. Nevertheless, it looks like he’ll be back for the last several episodes of Season 4 as a creation of the Framework.

According to the official synopsis for "What If,"

Hail the New World Order! Daisy and Simmons uncover secrets and lies in a world gone mad. With Hydra in control, they are our only hope to save everyone.

Returning Tuesday, April 4 at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Chloe Bennet as Daisy “Quake” Johnson, Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May, Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie and more.