This week’s episode of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD saw a surprise character return, as J. August Richards made an unannounced guest appearance as Mike Peterson – AKA Deathlok. It was clear by the end of the episode that Mike/Deathlok was sticking around for the time being to help Coulson.

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: "Afterlife" Review

On the show’s set, wearing his new and improved Deathlok costume, Richards spoke about coming back as the character and the changes he’s gone through.

J. August Richards as Deathlok in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.

Yeah, Coulson has had Deathlok in his back pocket since we saw him last. So he pulls me out of hiding to help him out with this really huge mission that is vital to S.H.I.E.L.D. As you can see, I got a lot of upgrades while I’ve been gone. My costume is very different. There are things that are still the same. The character has been evolving since we’ve seen him last. This is like Deathlok 2.0.When I’m playing him now, I like to think Mike is now owning Deathlok. Before I think he was really reluctant. Even back when I was playing the character, honestly I didn’t know how to move, or act. I felt that was really Mike with this body that got forced on him. Like with this artificial leg that we jokingly say cost $10MM, or the rockets on his arm, he didn’t know how to incorporate that into his life, or his movement.That’s one of those things I can’t answer! But I will say yes, our powers are significantly different. For Mike, he’s a regular guy who has to deal with the responsibility of having this much power is a little different than what she is going to go through.I have so many cool abilities. I have three USB ports, a firewire connection, you can get wi-fi off of me, this thing on my arm makes cappuccinos, and I have all of these cool little powers here and there. [Laughs] Lets see, I do have some new powers though. I think you’ll see them unfold over time though. I mean at the core he still is who he is. He has a bunch of mechanical parts that do a bunch of interesting things. This arm piece shoots rockets and he’s still super strong from the Centipede that he got in the first episode. Even in the comics I feel like he’s a character with a thousand powers that constantly unfold. It’s a character with a lot of possibilities. And again even with reading the comic, I feel like I can’t put a finger on all of his powers and the things that come over time.You know, I love stomping someone with my mechanical leg like I did in the last episode of the first season. There is just something about doing that, that I really like. I love being able to jump really far too. We did that a bunch of times in the pilot and subsequent episodes, but there is just so much about being able to be him that I really enjoy.Man, it was like the first time. I was in fittings for the first costume even before I knew I was even going to be Deathlok. They keep me in the dark as much as you guys. But, I saw a drawing of it and I really liked it. I mean it really came out perfect. Just looking at the back, I think that’s so cool for some reason. I love all the little pieces that fit together nicely. It really puts me in the body of the character. Also, there are like a thousand people futzing with me all day long, making sure my lights are on, my gloves are on, and my makeup is right.I think I found out a few weeks before returning to work. I had been kind of tipped off that i’d probably be returning, so I had to keep that a secret for a while too. I was really excited to come back. But every time I do come back, I feel like I’m playing a completely different character because there is so much that goes on off camera. Like I said before, Mike Petersen is owning his role as Deathlok and that’s a whole different performance.Fans will find out that Coulson and Mike have actually been secretly working together since we last saw Mike. I always think about this character’s humanity, so I feel like Coulson is someone that Mike doesn’t want to disappoint and someone that he really looks up to. I also feel from the very beginning he’s been looking for redemption and seeing Coulson as a key to that. Coulson can help him be the hero he’s always wanted to be for his child. And even that theme I think is playable if you’re a superhero, or a character in a drama. Like just trying to be that person for your child. That’s the only thing I think about with this character, him as a father, with a son. There are a lot of levels to that, you know?I think we’ll get into that. You know, as it was left, I felt like Mike really couldn’t face his son until he became a hero.Dude, I think about that, all the time. Seriously. It’s so funny because that’s what makes him such an interesting character to me. Even if he saved the entire world, I don’t know as if even then he could face his son. I think something really big would need to happen for him to get over everything he feels guilty about. I mean, Mike suffers from an immense sense of guilt. Even when I came back the first time, I felt like Mike shouldn’t have felt as guilty because it was the Centipede making him crazy, but he takes so much personal responsibility from his sins that it would take a lot for him to feel better about himself.God, you guys are asking the questions I ask myself that I keep dancing around trying to figure out. I think when I said in one of the episodes that “Mike Petersen is dead,” I thought the only way that line could have meaning if it were not true. I always think of Mike Petersen being at the core of this character, and whatever happens as a result of that, is all Mike Petersen. I think he’s 100% there.You know, it's such work in progress and I can see a scenario where that happens. I was really excited in one episode where Mike was under a x-ray and we got to see that underneath it all he does look a bit like the comic character. We’ll see, it’s constantly evolving, as you can already see.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN , IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman