'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Season 4 spoilers: Ward is back; Hydra takes the reins

Brett Dalton returns in the next episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." ABC/Marvel

A familiar character returns to Marvel's drama on ABC, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and his comeback brings along with him the return of Hydra.

Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) is coming back to "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and with him comes the return of Hydra, the International Business Times reported. Dalton's return comes with a plot twist as fans will remember that all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents are left inside the Framework, Aida's alternate reality.

In this alternate reality, Hydra won the events of "Captain America: Winter Soldier," and what was formerly the S.H.I.E.L.D. base has now become Hydra's own. With Hydra winning the events, we can expect all of the agents to be under its influence or power in one way or another.

Set photos leaked via Twitter reveal Ward with Daisy (Chloe Bennet) in a place that resembles the Triskelion. In this alternate world, Daisy is Ward's girlfriend, and will play that role probably until at least she is able to find her friends, the IBTimes noted.

Fans have mixed reactions to Ward's return and his relationship with Daisy in this new arc. Some fans are overjoyed at his comeback, while others say they would've wanted someone else to return. One fan said she'd rather have Bobbi and Hunter instead of the Hydra and its spy.

Still, the show's producers have their own plan in mind. Speaking to IGN, showrunner Jed Whedon said they wanted to explore "what if" scenarios with this arc. He said this world wasn't really intended, but they wanted to show just how evil Hydra really is, and so they went ahead and did it.

With this new arc, fans should expect to see more of Ward in the series. A Twitter video posted by Marvel showed Dalton holding the script. While we can't be sure what he'll be doing in the upcoming episode, he may likely be more than just a man standing beside Daisy in a photo.

"Agents of SHIELD" Season 4 will return to ABC on April 4 at 10:00 p.m. EST.

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