Viewers may have seen the last of Robin Scherbatsky - the Canadian former pop star played by Cobie Smulders on the long-running CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother - but that doesn't mean that the actress is done with television altogether.
Smulders - who appeared as Agent Maria Hill in Marvel's The Avengers and current box office champ Captain America: The Winter Soldier - brought the character over to the small screen with a brief appearance in the pilot episode of the studio's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fans had speculated whether the character would play a role on the show, since Smulders was already a television fixture and a natural choice to help bridge the gap between the new series and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to TVLine, the actress is set to re-emerge on the show, as it deals with the aftermath of the game-changing events depicted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Smulders will appear on the show's April 29th episode, just two weeks away from its May 13th season finale, though there's no indication what role her character will play in the series' narrative. However, reports indicate that she will be a big part of the action and will join forces with Agent Coulson.
The conclusion of Captain America: The Winter Soldier indicated that the character of Maria Hill would be taken in a different direction than we've seen thus far, but given what we've heard about how the film will affect Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it makes sense for her to pop up on the show in some capacity. The series has indeed received a mixed reaction from fans, but there's no denying that the scale and scope of the story is ramping up as it concludes it approaches the season finale (featuring the return of another familiar face from the films).
In addition, it will be interesting to see if Smulders' role on the show expands now that How I Met Your Mother has concluded its nine-season run. The producers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. already have plans in mind for the show's as-yet-unconfirmed season 2, and having a veteran agent like Hill on hand could help boost viewership and provide additional connectivity to the films. At the very least, it's a lot easier (and cheaper for the studio) to secure Smulders as a recurring guest star than to lock down cameo appearances by the likes of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. (both of whom have uncertain long-term futures with Marvel as it is). Time will tell where Hill's return will lead Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the series is wise to call in reinforcements if it hopes to be renewed for next season.
Are you excited for Hill's return to the TV side of the Marvel universe? How do you think her appearance will play off of the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC. Its season finale airs May 13.
Source: TVLine