Saw the cast of SHIELD this Saturday at Comicpalooza; everyone from the main cast was there except for Fitz and Skye, who were "working" (didn't say where or on what). The actor who played Ward, Brett Dalton, talked about how he didn't know he was Hydra until one day before the script-read, and how he actually teared up about it, since he thought he'd be killed off before the season was over. Ming-Na talked about how the role was supposed to be a black woman, but they decided to cast her instead. The female agent was supposed to be named "Rice," but she pointed out that they would have to change that if they cast her---for obvious reasons.
Clark Gregg said Deathlok/Mike Peterson was his favorite character and that he hoped the Coulson/May relationship would continue to be expanded upon. Elizabeth Henstridge tried to very tactfully answer a teen girl's question about whether Simmons loved Fitz the way Fitz loved Simmons,and J. August Richards, "Mike," just laughed and said, "Oooh, poor Fitz. Sounds like he's in the Friend Zone!"
Stan Lee made a surprise appearance; he just popped in to congratulate everyone on the success of the show, and then asked when his next cameo appearance would be.
They all seemed very nice, especially Clark Gregg, and everyone had a very good time. They got a standing ovation from a very crowded auditorium.