'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Preview: Brett Dalton Says Ward Has 'Crossed Over to the Other Side'
“He’s an antihero more than a villain,” actor Brett Dalton is quick to assert when asked about Grant Ward’s heinous acts leading up to tonight’s midseason finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He’s made his vendetta against the agency personal with each and every member of the team — most recently, assassinating Coulson’s special lady friend, Rosalind Price (you will be missed, Constance Zimmer), as they sat down for dinner.
Justified or not, Ward’s drive for revenge has been all-consuming. “His goal was take Coulson down, take Coulson down, take Coulson down. That’s been his goal the whole season,” says Dalton. But Gideon Malick’s proposition that there’s a place in history for Ward has apparently given him a new directive. “I must be thinking differently. I’ve expanded my focus onto something much bigger than vengeance.”
So will we see something different from Ward now that he’s on the alien planet? “He’s crossed over to the other side,” Dalton says. “It seems like he’s driven by another engine.” That could mean a lot of things, good or bad — and Dalton’s not saying which. “I don’t know if we’re going to see him winking and blasting out of planes, but we will see a new version of him, and I hope you like that one.”
Related: Get Caught Up With Our ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Recaps
As an actor, Dalton says the writers have given Ward the opportunity to explore every facet of the character, which he appreciates. “I can’t really think of anything else that I would also like to do on the show that I didn’t get a chance to.” We’ve seen Ward’s defining moment — the incident at the Well — in flashbacks, and he’s confronted his brothers about it. He’s been able to drive a Jaguar around at top speed. “And I’ve jumped out of a few planes too! What more could you ask for?”
One thing we hope never changes is seeing Dalton live-tweet the episodes. Love him, hate him, or love to hate him, @IMBrettDalton brings the same glee for badness to Twitter that he brings to the screen on Agents. From the time he “mocked” the Rosalind and Banks deaths:
To the many, many dad jokes and puns which, arguably, are more cruel than murder.
Keep one eye on the TV and one eye on the tweets… assuming Ward makes it back to Earth alive, of course.
The midseason finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC; Agent Carter takes up the Tuesday timeslot beginning Jan. 19; Agents returns March 8, 2016.