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Dove Cameron’s debut on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is upon us!

The Disney Channel alum will first appear in Friday’s episode as Ruby, the daughter of General Hale (Catherine Dent), though further details on her role are being kept under wraps. EW previously teased that Ruby has cunning intelligence and a mysterious obsession with Daisy (Chloe Bennet), which seems in line with the fact that her mother, a high-level government agent, has been desperate to locate Team S.H.I.E.L.D. Hale even shockingly killed two of her subordinates after Fitz (Iain de Caestecker) was able to escape captivity.

How does having a deceptive and dangerous mother like that ultimately influence Cameron’s character? “It’s very much affected Ruby,” the actress told EW at S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s 100th episode party Saturday. “Ruby idolizes her mother in a lot of ways, there’s definitely a lot of love there, but what would happen to the daughter of such a villainous character? It’s not something that’s just going to weigh lightly on her, so we’ll see how that unfolds as the season goes on.”

With the introduction of Ruby, executive producers Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen also promise we’ll finally get info on what Hale is really after in the coming episodes. “We’ll explore a little bit about why [Hale] is the way she is and what motivates her, but also what having a mom like that does to a person,” Whedon says. “We’re really excited about that relationship.”

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“And we’re really excited to have both of those actresses,” Tancharoen adds. “Dove Cameron is doing something like she’s never done before, so it’ll be interesting for everyone to see her.”

Cameron concurs, though she’s hard pressed to reveal how Ruby is so different from what she’s played before. “I think that everybody is the hero of their own story,” the actress says. “But Ruby definitely, you sense it in the first episode, she’s got a bit of an edge to her. I can’t really embellish on why it’s different than anything I’ve done, but it definitely is. I can back up their consensus — it’s very, very different than anything I’ve ever done.”

The one thing Cameron is not evasive about is her joy at getting to join the S.H.I.E.L.D. family. “It was amazing,” she says. “The cast is one of my favorite casts I’ve ever worked with. They’re such nice people, and I noted immediately when I joined the cast that it’s the most difficult show — you never get to see how hard these people work. It’s so physically, mentally, emotionally taxing, and it’s got a lot of drama going on, but the cast couldn’t be sweeter, closer-knit, better people. They’re just incredible people, and they’re so relaxed and friendly. I really felt like I’ve joined a family.”

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.