"That's Classified: Are Bobbi and Hunter Set To Return To 'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'?

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 was a shock to fans' systems, showing Nick Blood's Lance Hunter and Adrianne Palicki's Bobbi Morse written out in a blaze of glory. It was all intended to set up their own show, Marvel's Most Wanted, but ABC passed on that series. It's left Hunter and Morse in limbo — but with the potential to return. At SDCC 2016, Jeph loeb was asked about the possible return; he gave a tantalizing reply.

"I think we're best saying that's classified. It's definitely classified, but keep watching."

Keep watching we have - and Hunter's return looks imminent, if social media is anything to go by!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently filming the final block of episodes, so we can assume Nick Blood will be returning towards the season-end. It's an exciting possibility, and suggests we could be about to see the return of some real-favorites!

Why Do We Want Hunter and Morse Back?

Hunter and Morse were the best in the game, and over the course of Seasons 2 and 3, they left fans delighted. Adrianne Palicki's action sequences were thrilling, and the chemistry between the two was practically sizzling — so much so, that #Marvel considered them strong enough for a stand-alone.

Unfortunately, the episode "Parting Shot" saw both characters written out pretty comprehensively. They assassinated a murderous Russian General, causing a major diplomatic incident between the US and Russian governments. Coulson had to work with US President Ellis in order to persuade the Russian government to release them, on the condition they can never work for the US government — or for S.H.I.E.L.D. — ever again. It was a beautiful, emotional episode; sadly, it seemed to effectively write the two characters out of the series.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 has been split into three "pods", and we're currently awaiting the final one: "Agents of Hydra". This promises to take us into the Framework, a virtual alternate reality created by the power of the Darkhold. We'll explore the mystery of the Framework reality, but at the same time, our heroes will have to continue thwarting Aida's ruthless masterplan in the real world too.

All of that creates pretty much unlimited potential for key characters to return — including Bobbi and Hunter. On the one hand, who knows what lives Hunter and Morse have lived in the Framework reality? Did they side with Hydra, along with many of the core characters? Or did they remain loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.? They may have been targeted by Project Insight - which appears to have been successful in the Framework reality - or they may even be major figures in a resistance movement...

Meanwhile, of course, it's also possible that real-world events will draw them out of hiding at last. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been crippled — although we can expect Aida to quickly run in some LMDs to replace the 'lost' leaders, meaning the organization will remain compromised for the foreseeable future. If that's the case, Quake and Simmons may need to seek out potential allies — and who better than two people they trust implicitly? I'm sure Quake could easily track the dynamic duo down...

The loss of Hunter and Morse was a real blow to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; after all, the characters were so popular that they almost got their own show! That said, it may be it's finally possible we'll see these fan-favorite characters return - whether as part of the Framework, or in the real world. There's definite potential...