#Cobie Smulders Is Back In The MCU As Maria Hill In The Upcoming Marvel Series Secret Invasion

Fans last saw Hill and Fury in “Spiderman: Far From Home,” where the post-credits sequence revealed that the version of Fury that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker had been interacting with the whole time wasn’t Fury at all, but a Skrull copy. The real Nick Fury was in outer space, enjoying what looked like the world’s weirdest space-cation, complete with digital beaches. We never found out if Hill was a Skrull in “Far From Home,” however, so there are some pretty big questions regarding her post-“Endgame” existence before the events of “Secret Invasion.” Did she know Fury had been replaced with a Skrull if she hadn’t herself? If not, does that mean no one has a clue where Fury really is? 

One of the bigger bummers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that Smulders has been woefully underutilized. She was relatable and hilarious as Robin on “How I Met Your Mother,” but in the MCU she’s a stiff, one-note bureaucrat who only exists so Fury has someone to disagree with. The other Disney+ Marvel series, like “WandaVision” and “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” have given some of the less prominent characters a chance to shine, so here’s hoping that “Secret Invasion” gives Hill more to do than stand around and look stern.