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8 Reasons Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Will Kick Butt This Season

Get ready to see a whole new side of Daisy

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Sadie Gennis

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s third season picks up three months after the finale, which saw the Terrigen crystals enter the eco-system, Ward (Brett Dalton) take over Hydra, Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) get sucked into a Kree stone and so much more. So what does this mean for the members of S.H.I.E.L.D. going forward? Here are eight things to expect in Season 3:

1. Daisy has finally come into her own: After two seasons of self-discovery, Daisy (Chloe Bennet) is now a full-fledged superhero badass. Instead of being defined by her father-daughter relationships with Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Cal (Kyle MacLachlan), she'll step into a leadership role within S.H.I.E.L.D., helping roundup the Inhumans who have been affected by the Terrigen with Mack (Henry Simmons).

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"One of the things that's been great about the character is we spent two years taking a regular woman and turning her into a superhero and trying to earn it," executive producer Jeffrey Bell tells TVGuide.com. "We're putting her more into a role where she's her own person. And putting her out there on her own and giving her opportunities to make more decisions and leading more when it's appropriate. "

2. Ward is going after S.H.I.E.L.D. with everything he's got: Ward is not exactly a forgive-and-forget kind of guy. And now that he has all the resources of Hydra at his fingertips, his quest for vengeance against Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. will pose even more of a threat. "He'sinterested in putting together a team," Bell says. "He's a little angry at S.H.I.E.L.D. and I think he would love to make them suffer a little bit. I think a little personal retribution might be in the cards."

3. The show will take its time with Secret Warriors: Rather than jump right into Secret Warriors, S.H.I.E.L.D. will take its time building up the organization. "Right now, we come into a world of Inhumans and really exploring what it means to be Inhuman in all the different ways," Bell explains. "Daisy's Inhuman because she's biologically so. Coulson lost a hand and is wrestling with, 'What does it means to be human?' So coming into this season, I think we're much more interested in exploring those as we build toward this idea of putting together a team that might react or respond or engage with other Inhumans around the world."

4. S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't the only organization hunting Inhumans: When it comes to tracking down Inhumans, S.H.I.E.L.D. members will find themselves constantly one step behind a government black ops agency lead by Constance Zimmer's mysterious new character. But there's also a third clandestine organization hunting down the Inhumans that might be even more nefarious than Zimmer's.

5. There's still some hope for Ward: Don't think that because Ward is now the head of Hydra that he is officially beyond redemption. "I would say nobody is ever beyond redemption," Bell says. "One of the things we love is people either loving or hating Ward, so we write that intentionally so people can play along at home. We love the way Brett portrays Ward and all the complexities of that. A lot of people want him redeemed, and a lot of people want him thrown out of the plane. I think both instincts are reasonable and they're a lot of fun to write."

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6. Bobbi and Hunter are out for revenge: When the show picks up, Bobbi (Adriana Palicki) will continue to struggle with the consequences of the brutal beating she endured in the finale and Hunter (Nick Blood) is still - rightfully -- pissed at Ward for trying to kill him. So it should come as no surprise that the couple will lead the charge against Ward, all the while navigating their evolving relationship. "I would say both Bobbi and Hunter now, in particular, have a personal ax to grind with Ward as much as he has with them," Bell says. "Who they are as a couple and as individuals will continue to develop. But I do feel there will be changes and growth for both of them, particularly in light of what happened at the end of the season."

7. May is considering leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. for good: As we previously reported, May (Ming-Na Wen) will find herself reconsidering her place at S.H.I.E.L.D.. And in an ironic twist, while May's frustration with S.H.I.E.L.D. is at an all-time high, her ex-husband Andrew (Blair Underwood) will decide to work with them again. "That there was definitely a lot of corruption to S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as uncertainty now with the Inhumans being brought in by Coulson," Wen says. "It's going to be figuring out her final decision in Season 3 and I think Andrew will probably play a part in it."

Whatever May decides, Bell says viewers will be happy with her evolution this season. "Our goal is for everyone to be constantly growing and changing," jhe says. "I think people will find what's up with May interesting and hopefully a little surprising and satisfying."

8. We will see Simmons again: Though the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. has given up hope of finding out what happened to Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) refuses to stop searching. Unfortunately, Fitz's desperation to get Simmons back leads him down a dangerous path where he shows just how willing he is to put himself at risk for any clue as to Simmons' whereabouts. Fortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. won't hide keep Simmons' location a mystery for too long. Within the first episode, viewers will get their first glimpse at what happened to the plucky scientist.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres Tuesday at 9/8c on ABC.