Agents Of SHIELD’s Ming-Na Wen On The Cavalry Challenge And Season 4

Anyone who’s watched Ming-Na Wen play Agent Melinda May on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. knows that May isn’t one to back down from a challenge. Now Wen is offering her own challenge to players in Marvel’s Contest of Champions mobile game. In “Ming-Na’s Cavalry Challenge,” players will go toe-to-toe with a group of Champions handpicked by wen herself: Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Ant-Man and Dr. Strange.

We got in contact with Wen to discuss her Cavalry Challenge and touch a bit on the coming Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4.

How did you go about choosing your team for the Cavalry Challenge? Did you look for personal favorite characters, or was it all about strategy?

Ming-Na: Marvel Contest of Champions has so many of my favorite Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains. It was hard to choose my team! But I think I’ve got the best of the best – Doctor Strange, Black Widow, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Hulk. I was careful to select a team that that was diverse in their abilities and offered something unique and special from each individual. The Cavalry has an explosive mix of strength, agility and power-based skills and moves.

Were there any characters that you wanted to include on your team that just barely missed the cut?

Ming-Na: Absolutely! I highly considered my favorite Avengers – Thor, and Hawkeye -, because they’re kind of a big deal.

The characters you chose are all characters who appear in Marvel Studios films. Are you hoping to actually see them work together in an upcoming movie, like Avengers: Infinity War? Or maybe you’re lobbying for some S.H.I.E.L.D. appearances?

Ming-Na: That would surely make for some serious butt-kicking action scenes in a movie for sure! I think it would be awesome to see more cross-play between our film and television verticals.

Was choosing your team a similar experience to May’s new role in S.H.I.E.L.D., which we’ve heard has her training specialized teams?

Ming-Na: In a way, it’s definitely similar. I carefully considered each individual’s strengths and weaknesses, making sure to select ones that counter one another’s weaknesses like any great team leader would do. For example, Black Widow is the world’s greatest spy – she’s cunning and stealthy and her Widow’s Bite will leave her foes stunned, while Captain America is the greatest super soldier ever created, bringing substantial super strength to the table.

May’s popularity and profile have been on the rise. In addition to your portrayal of her in the Marvel cinematic universe, she’s also become a fixture in the Marvel comics universe and has appeared in some Marvel games. How has it felt bringing life to this multimedia character? Has her rising popularity added any pressure to your job in playing her?

Ming-Na: Bringing to life this multimedia character is definitely a big job to fulfill, and I’m so thankful to all the fans that constantly support me and congratulate me for doing the best job I can at the job I love the most. I wouldn’t say that the rise in May’s character popularity has added any additional pressure, but I do see a massive opportunity to continue giving fans performances they love and can relate to. I’m so happy that May is a character that more and more fans are starting to understand and watch more closely.

Looking ahead to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, a lot has changed for S.H.I.E.L.D. since the final showdown with Hive. What can you tell us about May’s role in the new S.H.I.E.L.D., and how it has changed her relationship with the rest of the team? What’s her relationship like with the new Director (Jason O’Mara)?

Ming-Na: In Season 4, Agent May continues to support S.H.I.E.L.D. and is focused on training the new task force. She will continue to work in the field when needed and take on the leadership role with her tac team. Her loyalty to Coulson makes her wary of the new Director and what his goals and intentions are for S.H.I.E.L.D. What her true feelings are…well, you know May. She will never fully reveal what she’s thinking or feeling. Fans will need to watch to see how things unfold this season!

Any words of wisdom, or maybe some trash talk, that you’d like to send to the players looking to take on the Cavalry challenge?

Ming-Na:My team is badass, but beware of the Bosses I’ve chosen after each round. Rhino, Moon Knight, Miles Morales, and Iron Man. Good luck, you’ll need it!

I’d love for players to tell me who their ultimate Marvel Contest of Champions team would be on my Facebook page (@MingNaWenOfficial) or tweet at me (@MingNa) – with the hashtag #MarvelCOC.

Think you’ve got what it takes to take on Ming-Na’s Cavalry Challenge? Marvel’s Contest of Champions is available in the App Store and Google Play. Ming-Na’s Cavalry Challenge began Aug. 11 and will run for three weeks.

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