The quality upswing continues on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the superhero series is in the middle of one it's most comic book-y seasons yet. The team is currently in the distant future trying to return to the present to prevent the destruction of Earth, and we've seen aliens, subjugated humans, and doomsday prophecies, which only makes the mystery behind Dove Cameron's character all the more interesting. The Disney Channel star was cast in a previously undisclosed role, but now the curtain has been pulled back to reveal Cameron is playing the daughter of a previously introduced nefarious government agent.
Put aside those speculations, because Dove Cameron is playing Ruby, a young woman of cunning intelligence who has a mysterious obsession with Daisy Johnson. She's also the daughter of General Hale (Catherine Dent), according to EW. There's a good chance that name isn't ringing any bells, since Hale was only introduced just this season in the flashback episode that revealed how Fitz traveled to the future. She was the general who executed her two subordinates for failing to stop Fitz from escaping their custody.
Without more details to ponder, it's hard to determine if Ruby will turn out to be an actual comic book character or not, but given the amount of mystery surrounding her identity, she must be important to the events of the show. (The same kind of secrecy was attached to Jeff Ward's Deke after he was cast.) The only other clue we have is that Dove Cameron is "not an obvious fit for" the role, according to executive producer Jed Whedon. That can mean a lot of different things, but perhaps it hints that Cameron is playing a villainous character that is the polar opposite of her character on Disney's Liv and Maddie. She does play badde Mal in the Descendants franchise, but that character likely doesn't have the same M.O.. as Ruby.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current story arc has been interesting, to say the least. *Spoilers follow for anyone not caught up! *The team was basically kidnapped and sent to the future, where the last remains of humanity survive on a space station run by the Kree. Earth has literally been blown to pieces, with Daisy Johnson as the prime suspect for the planet's destruction. Now, Coulson and the gang are trying to figure out how to make it back to the present to save the world, all while also trying to bring freedom to humanity's future. It's pretty wild for a show where the biggest twist used to be that a presumed good guy was actually a bad guy.
Dove Cameron's Ruby will appear for the first time on an episode set to air on March 2, 2018. You can watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Friday nights on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. To learn more about what is and isn't on TV right now, be sure to visit our midseason premiere schedule.
