'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' season 4 spoilers: Mace's death confirmed; Renewal for season 5 possible

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” season 4 has had quite the number of twists and turns lately. No stranger to killing off its cast of characters, the series recently said its goodbye to Jeffrey Mace (Jason O’Mara). Mace’s demise was ultimately an act of selflessness, as he held up a building to save the rest of his team. In the world of television, character deaths may be a 50-50 sort of deal. Producers may sometimes make it seem like a certain character has already met their end, only for their "death" to be a trick of the eye or perhaps the gateway to a resurrection option. While this might have been the case for some shows (like “The Walking Dead” or “Game of Thrones,” for example), Mace is unfortunately truly dead in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

As per the show’s executive producer Jed Whedon, Mace is definitely gone for good in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” season 4. “This season is proof that death is, at times, fleeting on our show, but he is really dead,” Whedon stated, speaking to Entertainment Weekly. “[O’Mara] came in and played this new version [of a character that] we’ve never seen, this slightly corny guy who had always wanted to be a hero, and the fact that in the Framework he got to be that hero was really fun, but there’s also real consequences of being that hero; a real hero would sacrifice himself for the greater good. As sad as it was for that character to end, for the character to go out in such a powerful way was super moving.”

Mace was introduced in season 4 as the new face of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the events of the Sokovia Accords in “Captain America: Civil War.” This was in light of Phil Coulson (portrayed by actor Clark Gregg) being presumed dead after the first “Avengers” film. Though he boasts of abilities such as super strength and super durability, this was clearly not enough to save himself in the end.

The prospect of a possible fifth season for the show has also been put on the table recently. Marvel TV chief Jeph Loeb divulged to TVLine some insights on the possibility of an “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” season 5, stating that he and his team remain “hopeful” on the idea.

Though “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” season 4 started off steady, it inevitably saw a decline in viewership by mid-February. However, its Framework arc has managed to raise the show’s numbers again, so all hope is not lost for the possibility of a renewal.