Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2: Who Are The New Cast?

The second season premiere of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is fast approaching. The show's cast has grown in changed during the off season, and audiences can expect to see a lot of new faces as the season goes on.

To help fans out, we've compiled some brief descriptions of all the new character we are aware of in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2.

As a show that is fond of its secrets, we've don't have much to go on besides comic book origins for many of these characters, but it's enough to help you get your bearing going into Season 2.

Lance Hunter (Nick Blood)

The only new addition to the show's principal cast, Nick Blood plays Lance Hunter, a mercenary who comes to work with Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. through Izzy Hartley.  In the comics, Hunter is the head of S.T.R.I.K.E. (Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies), the United Kingdom's equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. There's been no hint of that connection so far, as Hunter seems to only be motivated by money, but you never what secret may float to the surface as the series progresses.

Isabelle "Izzy" Hartley (Lucy Lawless)

Izzy Hartley is an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She wasn't seen in the previous season because she spent most of her time undercover. That time undercover pays off in the form of mercenary contacts that Izzy is able to use to fill out S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dwindling ranks with some hired help. She an ally to Coulson, but the other members of Coulson's team have a hard time trusting her and separating her from her mercenary cover.

Bobbi Morse / Mockingbird (Adrianne Palicki)

In the Marvel Comics universe, Mockingbird is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Avenger, and on-again off-again wife of Hawkeye. Her inclusion in Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was revealed in a video presentation at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Her comic book history includes time spent hunting down an exposing corrupt members S.H.I.E.L.D., which might make her a valuable ally to Coulson as he tries to figure out which ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents he can trust now that Hydra has revealed itself.

Skye's Father (Kyle MacLachlan)

Twin Peaks alum Kyle MacLachlan will play Skye's father. As one of the show's central mysteries, Marvel has yet to reveal much about MacLachlan's character. He will make his first appearance as a recurring character in the second episode of Season 2. He's been referred to as a monster, and we got a glimpse of his bloody hand at the end of Season 1. We'll have to wait to learn more about this mysterious character as the season progresses.

Alphonso "Mac" McKenzie (Henry Simmons)

In the Marvel Comics universe, Al McKenzie was a CIA liaison to S.H.I.E.L.D. who eventually jumped ship to become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s liaison to the CIA. He ended his career by resigned from the organization a writing a memoir about his time in S.H.I.E.L.D. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he appears as a mechanic with an affinity for high-end technology.

Carl "Crusher" Creel / The Absorbing Man (Brian Patrick Wade)

A classic villain from Marvel Comics, The Absorbing Man will make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic universe in the Season 2 premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Crusher" Creel has the unique ability to transform his own body's molecules into any substance he touches, an ability that proves valuable to Hydra when they try to achieve a specific goal.

Daniel Whitehall / Kraken (Reed Diamond)

Introduced in the comic book series Secret Warriors, Daniel Whitehall, a.k.a. Kraken, was one of the founding fathers and architects of Hydra and one of the terrorist organization's deadliest assassins. While details are scarce, he seems poised to play a similar role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and is a character with "big bad" written all over him.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 premiers Tuesday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.