Joss Whedon-directed TV series "S.H.I.E.L.D." will see a new member to its group - Ming-Na Wen.
The news comes after it was revealed at the New York Comic Con that Clark Gregg will star as Agent Phil Coulson in the ABC TV series. He's reprising his role as Agent Coulson in "Iron Man", "Thor" and "Avengers".
Reports suggest that Wen will be one of the agents of the peacekeeping group. She will allegedly play Agent Melinda May, who is described as "soulful and slightly damaged by her combat experiences, Melinda is an ace pilot, a weapons expert and a soldier who can - and has - gone beyond the call of duty," as reported by Deadline. Like the rest of them, her character will be an original created for the "S.H.I.E.L.D." franchise.
The character of Wen was initially supposed to be named Agent Althea Rice a.k.a. The Cavalry.
The TV series, though set in the Marvel universe, might see some recognizable comic book heroes and villains. However, Whedon is reportedly not relying on Marvel comics for inspiration.
Wen was cast as a regular in television series "Stargate Universe" and "Eureka", and has given her voice for animated movie "Mulan", as well as the animated series of "The Batman" and "Spawn." She played the role of Dr. Jing-Mei Chen in TV series "ER."
The series is being scripted by Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. All three will executive-produce it with Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb.
"The S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot will be a live-action television show based on the long-running Marvel comic created by Jack Kirby which revolves around a secret government agency known as the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate. Samuel Jackson has played super-spy Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., in a recent line of Marvel movies including "The Avengers,"" Yahoo Voices reported.
Marvel's "S.H.I.E.L.D." is likely to make its TV debut some time in 2013.