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Marvel's ‘Agents of SHIELD’ star Ming-Na Wen says Melinda May's ‘maternal’ side wins over the team over 6 seasons

Echoing her thoughts was fellow co-star Clark Gregg, who said his character Phil Coulson learned the meaning of relationships during the series

'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' (AoS) season 6 is drawing to a close and the 13-episodes this year have kicked the intrigue factor of the series up a few notches. That said, we'll see the agents again one last time in season 7 of 'AoS' when it hits ABC next year.

The show started off in 2013 and was an instant hit with audiences as it saw the return of Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), the lovable, funny, yet probably smartest man after Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson and his team may not be in the same league as the Avengers, but they have done their jobs by zapping off evil from the face of the earth while the Avengers were on their missions.

The six seasons have seen them fight as a team to save the world from grave threats and they will suit up one last time before calling time on their agent careers. The latest update is that filming for season 7 has officially wrapped up and we'll see the agents again in action next year.

That said, the final season was also emotional for the actors who have been part of the journey since 2013. During the San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Ming-Na Wen, the star actor who plays Melinda May on the show, spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) about how her character evolved since her appearance in season 1. 

"For May, it's an interesting character to play because she goes back and forth," Wen said. "She opens up her heart, it gets ripped out. And then she has to close it up again and protect herself and I think that is very true to what a human being sometimes has to go through."

At the start of the season, May was seen as an agent reluctant to get to the field following a failed previous mission. As Coulson's unofficial deputy, May helped him in fighting the forces of HYDRA. In addition, she was also a source of inspiration for most team members.

Wen also added that her role over time was maternal and that she became more human as the seasons progressed.  "She's so maternal, I think eventually that wins over, and her love for Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is beautiful. The finale of season 5 is the most human they have ever been really." 

You can watch Wen and Gregg talk about their characters' evolution through the six seasons of 'AoS' here:

Gregg, who plays Agent Phil Coulson, spoke about how his character learned the meaning of relationships over the course of the series: "I think the Coulson from season 1 is very similar to the guy in the movie, excited to not have died he thought," he said. 

"He's putting together this whole team, but he's very much yet a lone wolf married to the mission of S.H.I.E.L.D. But over time he gets to understand the team better, his relationship with Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), the team becomes a surrogate family."

'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' season 7 will premiere on ABC in the summer of 2020.