As Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. heads down the final stretch of episodes in highly divisive freshman season, it seems that the showrunners are attempting to pull out all the stops they can to get fans onboard the plane with Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his band of misfit soldiers. That includes adding comic book characters like Deathlok to mix; bringing in fun new celebrity guest-stars (Heroes star Adrian Pasdar and comedian Patton Oswalt); better ties to the movies (Captain America 2 in particular); and finally solving some dragged-out season-long mysteries, like the full explanation of Coulson and Skye's resurrections and the identity of the villainous Clairvoyant.

However, it seems like we'll be getting another reveal that should be fun for Marvel Movie fans as well: We'll finally get to meet Audrey, "The Cellist" that Phil Coulson was courting during the Marvel Phase One movies before his seeming death in The Avengers. Not only that, but the oft-mentioned love interest will be played by none other than "Camp Whedon" alum, Amy Acker. TV Guide reports that Acker will at least appear in one episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as Audrey (unaware that Coulson is alive and watching over her) is put in peril by a super-powered threat from her past. Naturally, Coulson will step in to save the day, and romantic dilemma will ensue.

If you don't know Acker by name, she is probably best known for playing roles in Joss Whedon TV series Angel and Dollhouse - or more recently, playing the iconic role of feisty heroine Beatrice in Whedon's big-screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (read our review). She also has background in both superhero and espionage TV shows: she voiced The Huntress in the mid-2000s Justice League cartoon series and had a recurring role on Alias.

Clark Gregg and Amy Acker in Much Ado About Nothing
Clark Gregg addresses Amy Acker in 'Much Ado About Nothing'

To Whedonites Acker is a familiar favorite, and is the latest from "Camp Whedon" to make it into the Marvel universe (her Much Ado co-star Alexis Denisof played Thanos' henchman "The Other" in The Avengers). It is creepy that she and Gregg are going from father/daughter roles in Much Ado to love interests in AoS; but with Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson going from playing lovers in Godzilla to siblings in Avengers 2, this incestuous role casting is now getting to be par for the course in the Marvel universe...

While the casting of geek-goddess Acker may sit well with fans, the introduction of Audrey comes across as somewhat 'too little, too late' - a problem AoS has been experiencing throughout season 1. When Coulson first started dropping hints about his cellist lady-friend from Portland, hardcore comic book fans started combing over theories that he was dating everyone from Kate Bishop (the female Hawkeye) to Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (who never played the cello in the comics, BTW). The point is: after all that fun speculation, getting Audrey as a regular ol' one-off love interest seems like a disappointment.

Scarlet_Witch_by_AdamHughes

...Then again, we have no idea what the showrunners have planned for Acker and her character. Being a cellist has not been a defining or exclusive quality tied to any particular Marvel character - so who knows who or what Audrey could turn out to be.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns on Tuesday, April 1st @ 8pm on ABC.

Source: TV Guide