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Whedon Casts a Bonafide Disney Princess for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Excelsior!

Though I guess some people know her from, like, this show called ER, or something? Or, Street Fighter, Stargate, or Eureka. But Ming-Na (who has also worked under her full name, Ming-Na Wen) is also the voice of Disney’s Mulan, even in such non-movie projects as Kingdom Hearts. Multiple Kingdom Hearts games.

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The Macau-born, Hong Kong and American raised actor is our first confirmed new addition to Joss Whedon‘s S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot (not counting Clark Gregg, since his Agent Coulson is a known character), in the role of Melinda May, and just because that name isn’t familiar might not mean we don’t know anything about her.

TV Line gave a run down of those who would be “among” the major characters of the show, which included names like Skye, Agent Grant Ward, Agent Althea Rice, Agent Leo Fitz, and Agent Jemma Simmons, and brief character descriptions. It did not, however include anyone named Melinda May, but that might not mean we haven’t already been introduced to her.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Melinda May is “a top-notch pilot, weapons expert and soldier who is described as being soulful but damaged by her time spent in combat.” That sounds awfully similar to the description TV Line published of Agent Althea Rice,

Agent Althea Rice: Also known as “The Calvary,” [sic] this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.

My guess? Ming-Na is playing Rice, but with an understandable post-casting name change. Ladies and gentlemen, meet our newest S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, one of the main characters of the show, and what seems like the heavy hitter, combat-wise.

Now lets all sit quietly and wait for more casting news. Did I say sit quietly? Lets bounce up and down in excitement.

(via The Hollywood Reporter.)

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Susana Polo
Susana Polo thought she'd get her Creative Writing degree from Oberlin, work a crap job, and fake it until she made it into comics. Instead she stumbled into a great job: founding and running this very website (she's Editor at Large now, very fancy). She's spoken at events like Geek Girl Con, New York Comic Con, and Comic Book City Con, wants to get a Batwoman tattoo and write a graphic novel, and one of her canine teeth is in backwards.

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