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Cobie Smulders has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, making her debut as Maria Hill in the 2012 Joss Whedon directorial The Avengers. Best known for being Agent Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) ally, the character has appeared in five films and two TV series, including the Disney+ miniseries Secret Invasion.
However, Smulders' journey came to an end as Maria Hill was killed in the first episode of Secret Invasion. Speaking about her character's demise in an interview with Collider, Cobie Smulders revealed that she was aware of it right from when she was cast in the miniseries.
She said she had the time to process things and make the most out of her time on sets with Samuel L. Jackson.
The 41-year-old actor stated:
"I've always known, since I was first called about it. I've always known about it, and I wasn't surprised by it at all. I've been prepared for a long time about it, and we've been working on this for quite some time. I've gotten to properly soak it in, and I got to soak in my Sam Jackson moments on set as much as I could."
Cobie Smulders is grateful for her spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Smulders was asked whether there ever was an instance in any of the previous installments when she felt like her character wouldn't survive and whether she ever worried about her character's fate when reading a script. She responded by acknowledging the vast size of the MCU and the number of characters involved in it.
She expressed gratitude for having a spot of her own in the franchise and joy over having been brought on board for projects over the years. She also mentioned that she was too big a fan of Marvel to put herself or her character first.
"Honestly, this world has become so large, and there are so many characters. There's so much going on that I'm just grateful for my little sliver that I have. I was just happy when the phone did ring, and I am such a fan of Marvel myself that I've never really put my character first."
Cobie Smulders on her bond with Samuel L. Jackson
The How I Met Your Mother star also touched on the bond she had formed with her longtime co-star Samuel L. Jackson, remarking that it was "a gift" to work with him and calling him "a giving" person. She added that it was nice to work with an actor who had "a better grasp of the story" and they kept each other "in the know," noting that their years-long relationship made things easier while filming scenes.
"Working with Sam is really a gift, and, certainly, we've gotten to spend a lot of time together, but he's also just a really giving, present person. It was so nice to have a partner who, quite honestly, had a better grasp of the story and the world.
Cobie Smulders continued:
That partnership of keeping each other in the know, and just really getting to play where we don't have to explain much to each other, is always such a wonderful thing to do with another actor in a scene where you've already established so much relationship that you don't have to get through the wording of getting to know each other."
Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L. Jackon, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Emilia Clarke, and others, is currently streaming on Disney+. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
