Is that Luke Cage in the extended 'Agents of SHIELD' trailer?

The return of Agent Coulson isn't the only mystery circulating around Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. There's also the question of who Angel alum J. August Richards is playing. His is the only character not to be fully revealed, and if there's one thing we know about Marvel and Joss Whedon, it's that nothing is hidden without very good reason. That has led to speculation that he may be Luke "Power Man" Cage, or possibly Rage of the New Warriors. Last Sunday's teaser didn't tell us all that much, but the new extended cut is going to get those rumors buzzing again.

A full two minutes longer than the teaser, the footage re-introduces Coulson (Clark Gregg) in snappy Whedon fashion, with Agent Ward (Brett Dalton) claiming to not know all of the details of his death because he's only Level 6 clearance. In steps Coulson who boldly proclaims "Welcome to Level 7". Ooooooohhhhh mysterious! We see more of Ming-Na Wen as the butt-kicking Melinda May, who is obviously much more than "just a pilot".

But it's the footage of Richards that could be the most revealing. In his couple of appearances we see him rescuing a civilian from a burning building, demonstrating not only some level of super-strength, but also durability. Both are attributes possessed by Luke Cage, but of course he could be playing someone entirely new. If that were the case, though, why keep it a secret?

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD will air on Tuesday nights on ABC.