When "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." returns in April, the ABC drama will have undergone a few changes, the most obvious being a lot more Hydra.To symbolize this shift, ABC has released an animated teaser of the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo transforming into the Hydra emblem and back again.
It's a reference, of course, to the showâs current storyline, in which S.H.I.E.L.D.âs top agents have entered, either willingly or unwillingly, a virtual-reality simulator created by the agencyâs somewhat-unreliable super-scientist Holden Radcliffe. Dubbed âThe Framework,â the current version of the simulator was built to enable users to rectify their greatest regrets, but it seems that has had the unintended consequence of creating a virtual world in which Hydra has triumphed.
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But could it also suggest that S.H.I.E.L.D. will ultimately triumph over their fictional fascist enemies? It would certainly be a controversial turn for the series if they did not.
According to the synopsis for âWhat If,â the next episode of âAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.":
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 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, âMarvelâs Agents of S.H.I.E.L.Dâ stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Chloe Bennet as Daisy âQuakeâ Johnson, Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May, Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons, and Henry Simmons as Alphonso âMackâ Mackenzie.