‘SOA’ Star Drea De Matteo Cast As Villain in Marvel’s ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

When Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to television in March, they will have to face off against a new villain, portrayed by none other than Sons of Anarchy star Drea de Matteo.

Matteo will portray the character of Karla Faye Gideon and join forces with S.H.I.E.L.D. nemesis Calvin Zabo, played by Kyle McLaughlin, who was revealed to be agent Skye’s father in season 2 of the series.

Jeph Loeb, executive Producer and Marvel’s Head of Marvel Television, said that he was exited to work with the up and coming actress.

“We’re thrilled to have Drea join us as yet another great villain to challenge our cast…we relished the opportunity to work with her in such a menacing role.”

Matteo is a rising star who also stared in HBO’s The Sopranos, for which she won an Emmy, Desperate Housewives, and the ill fated Friends spinoff, Joey. Matteo was most recently propelled to worldwide recognition for her role as Wendy Teller on Sons of Anarchy, in which de Matteo played ex-heroin addict and mother as well as the ex wife of Jax Teller, head of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club.

Drea de Matteo’s character on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. first made her debut in the Daredevil Comic books. While Marvel has labeled her as “gifted,” Gideon has no superpowers in the comic book. Just how much the character will differ from her ink laden counterpart in the comics remains to be seen.

Just what Drea brings to the character is unknown, but in print, Matteo’s character plays a minor role. in Daredevil: Redemption, Gideon is the wife of a man named Howard, who beat her relentlessly. To Daredevil’s dismay, she remained by his side despite attempts to get her out of her life of domestic violence. Daredevil later put Howard behind bars to protect Karla Gideon.

Matteo could well play a more central figure in the Daredevil television series set to debut on Netflix, in which case her guest appearance in Marvel’s Agents ofS.H.I.E.L.D. could be a bridge between the two series, and perhaps even the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. At this time there is no word on whether Matteo will be cast in the Netflix version of Daredevil. of course; Matteo could die in her first episode and be seen nevermore in the MCU, just as, spoiler alert, Lucy Lawless did in the premier of season 2.

Whatever the case, Drea de Matteo’s character will likely aid Cal’s plan to help Sky learn to harness her new powers, now that she is an Inhuman. Just how that will work is anyone’s guess, but its possible, as Cinema Blend pointed out, that Cal’s significant skill with science could endow her with superhuman abilities beyond those of her comic book counterpart.

You can see Drea de Matteo in the upcoming premier of Marvel’s Agents ofS.H.I.E.L.D. when the show returns in March.