Director Phil Coulson has asked a great deal from Agent Melinda May on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." She reluctantly joined his team last year and now she holds the responsibility to take his life if he can't control the alien blood surging through his body. Whether their close bond will blossom into an actual "Philinda" romance, "S.H.I.E.L.D." star Ming-Na Wen doesn't know for sure.
"It's funny because under the guise of them being undercover and doing the ballroom dancing out of necessity, it's helping to facilitate and maintaining the idea that Coulson and May are truly, truly great friends with this unspoken chemistry that they also feel," Wen told Headlines & Global News at The Paley Center of Media's annual PaleyFest NY on Oct. 19.
Romantic feelings for not, May's number one priority will be keeping an eye on Coulson while he struggles with this blue alien blood coursing through his veins. She remains loyal to the order former Director Nick Fury gave her and acting as Coulson's confidant.
"Now that Coulson is director, her new job is filling his old shoes," Wen said. "She definitely believes that her place is to facilitate and make sure that the missions are going accordingly and that they're out in the field doing their job, rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D."
The main mission for the team now is solving the meaning behind Coulson's extensive alien carvings before the evil Hydra does.
"I think they realize it's a very powerful, important piece of this mysterious pie," Wen said.
Another important piece to solving the mystery currently resides in the basement of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s make-shift headquarters. Coulson has SHIELD traitor Grant Ward locked away, and he may prefer to stay there with May still enraged over his betrayal.
"I think [May] would form a different affixation than what Fitz did, but again, she's under orders not to kill him," Wen said. "He's a necessary part of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D."
Both Wen and her co-star Chloe Bennet had similar reactions when they learned about Ward's affiliation with Hydra last season. Wen's character shared a sexual relationship with Brett Dalton's Ward for few episodes and Bennet's Skye kissed him shortly before learning his true identity.
"We both started crying," Bennet told the audience at the PaleyFest panel. "I said, 'What a motherf*****! I kissed him," and Wen continued, "And I said, "Well, I f****** him!"
Wen and Dalton have yet to share a scene together this season. Only Coulson, Skye and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) have visited Ward in his cell so far.
"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." airs on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. on ABC.
