Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 Synopsis Released

ABC has released the official synopsis for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4. The new synopsis reveals several major status quo shifts that occurred during the time jump from the Season 3 finale.

It turns out that the Sokovia Accords from Captain America: Civil War and the fall of Hydra have allowed S.H.I.E.L.D. to come out of the shadows and operate in the public eye again. However, since the public believes Phil Coulson is dead and has no knowledge of the T.A.H.I.T.I. program, S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a new Director, who is played by Jason O'Mara and remains unnamed in the synopsis.

With Hydra gone, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new purpose is tracking down powered individuals like Inhumans, with Daisy – who went rogue after Lincoln's death – at the top of their list. Meanwhile, Agent May is training specialized task forces, and Fitz and Simmons are closer than ever. Fitz has become close friends with Dr. Holden Radcliffe, who is close to finishing off the LMD project that was hinted at in the Season 3 finale. Simmons has been promoted to Special Advisor to the Director in Science and Technology, but her close proximity to the new Director is straining her relationship with Fitz and the rest of the old team.

Oh, and also, Ghost Rider.

Check out the full synopsis below. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC in its new 10 p.m. timeslot on Sept. 20.

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." returns with a vengeance for the fourth exciting season in an all new time period, Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. ET. In the aftermath of their journey to another planet, Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the rest of the team were driven more than ever to put an end to the Hydra organization. Little did they know that they were up against the deadliest threat they've ever faced – an extremely powerful Inhuman, Hive, who was transported back from Maveth in the body of their worst enemy, Grant Ward. The team was able to thwart and kill Hive and take down Hydra, but they are all still mourning the death of fellow agent and Inhuman, Lincoln Campbell.

In light of the Sokovia Accords, and with Hydra obliterated, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been legitimatized again and no longer needs to operate in the shadows. Since the world presumes that Coulson is dead, the organization needed a new Director (Jason O'Mara) to be the face of the organization. Coulson finds himself back in the role as an agent and teamed with Mack (Henry Simmons), and together they are tasked with tracking down and confirming the presence of Enhanced people, aka Inhumans. They have been trying to track down and capture Daisy (Chloe Bennet), aka Quake, who has gone rogue in an attempt to atone for sins from the past. But with the world believing that Daisy is a dangerous outlaw who has taken down banks and bridges, the new Director has no qualms about taking her down for good. Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) is tasked with training specialist strike teams, and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) have taken a big step forward in their relationship. But with Simmons' new promotion as Special Advisor to the Director in Science and Technology, Fitz, as well as her former team members, finds it hard to confide in or trust her since she's now the Director's confidant.

Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) will roar into the lives of Agent Coulson and the team as a junkyard mechanic who can turn on a dime into the terrifying Ghost Rider. Will Robbie be a friend or foe to S.H.I.E.L.D. – as well as the world, itself? Meanwhile, Fitz discovers that socially awkward genius and friend Dr. Radcliffe (John Hannah) has started putting the finishing touches on a new, secret invention.

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons and Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie.

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." was co-created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who also serve as executive producers along with Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television, and is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound.