Cobie Smulders came to the end of the road as Maria Hill when her character was shockingly killed off in Secret Invasion , but that doesn’t mean the actress wouldn’t jump at the chance to return to the MCU again. The series, based on the iconic Marvel Comics storyline of the same name, was one that fans had been anticipating for several years, but even some surprising twists and turns couldn’t stop many wishing it had never happened.
Along with complaints over a boring storyline, some controversial elements such as the reveal that Don Cheadle’s Rhodey had been a Skrull for many years, and the introduction of another super-powered, seemingly immortal hero in Emilia Clarke’s G’iah, the death of Maria Hill in the first episode of the series became just another reason for the discourse surrounding the Disney+ show.
Secret Invasion‘s unceremonious killing off of the character in the first episode certainly had shock value, but also caused outrage online, especially given the fact that Smulders had been with the MCU since 2012’s The Avengers. Screen Rant asked the How I Met Your Mother veteran whether she would return to the MCU if given the opportunity. Her response?
Yeah, sure. Absolutely. When Marvel calls you on the phone, you go. You do the things they ask you to – or at least I do.
Could Cobie Smulders Come Back?
The Marvel Universe is riddled with loopholes. After all, the similarly flesh-and-blood Phil Coulson was brought back after The Avengers for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The difference is, people loved The Avengers and Secret Invasion is widely deemed one of the worst MCU projects despite the popularity of the comics it is based on. If the death of Maria Hill was to be undone, either via the reveal that her character was a Skrull – they have done it with many others after all – or through some multiversal twist, fans would most likely be happy to overlook the necessary retcon.
At the end of the day, it’s up to Kevin Feige and the MCU’s other powers that be. But, it certainly seems like Smulders would answer the phone if someone decided that the Marvel saga is not quite done with Maria Hill just yet. For now, though, the Marvel bandwagon will continue to roll on without her, but those who want to relive Smulder’s best moments in the MCU can find all of them – including her fateful Secret Invasion appearance – streaming on Disney+.