'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Midseason Finale Sneak Peek

Tonight's all-new 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' midseason finale, "The Bridge," will pull out all the stops to finally deliver on its super-powered premise, as J. August Richards reprises his pilot role to help the team battle the super-soldiers of Centipede. The latest sneak peek finally brings the heavy-hitting action, but will 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' return in 2014 with a more Marvel-ous overhaul?

Whereas the first preview saw soldiers rescuing the mysterious Edison Po, the latest look at tonight's "The Bridge" puts the team center stage as Mike Peterson (Richards) defends Coulson from an ambush by the villains. Given the source of Mike's own strength, however, one has to wonder if his loyalty will last for long.

Says ABC of tonight's “The Bridge”:

In a shocking cliffhanger episode, Coulson takes the war back to Centipede, and this time he brings in Mike Peterson for some super-soldier support. As they get closer to the truth, startling secrets are revealed and an unexpected twist threatens the team, on ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ Tuesday, December 10.

Elsewhere, those concerned that 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' too often ignores its Marvel heritage may yet change their tune, as executive producer Jeffrey Bell promised ComicVine, "We're looking to explore more aspects of S.H.I.E.L.D. Some of it will tie into history or characters that people might know names of from the Marvel Universe, if not Marvel movies. I think we're trying to live a little bit more in that world. I think that's the fairest thing to say." So too did Bell inform ComicBookResources, "I think on a few levels, fans will feel it's moving a bit more in the Marvel direction."

We're keeping an open mind, but what say you? Will tonight's midseason finale, "The Bridge," be the strongest episode since the pilot, literally and figuratively? Watch the latest sneak peek above, and give us your predictions in the comments!