I’m curious to see how filmmakers cast Cobie Smulders in the future. She’s had an interesting decade with “How I Met Your Mother” launching her to prominence. A mere ten years ago, she was one of the young stars of ABC’s flash-in-a-pan series “Veritas: The Quest,” but once she was part of the break-out ensemble comedy that’s wrapping things up with a controversial final season right now, it seems like she would suddenly start getting bigger roles.
Oddly, that’s not how it has played out. I like “The Slammin’ Salmon,” and I think she’s funny in it, but that’s the biggest film role she played before “The Avengers,” where she made her first appearance as Maria Hill. “Delivery Man” is still a smaller supporting role, but it’s a step in the right direction. Next year, she’s starring in a David Wain comedy along with some folks like Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Michael Shannon, Ed Helms, and Christopher Meloni. In addition, she’s the voice of Wonder Woman for “The LEGO Movie,” and she’ll be back as Hill for the S.H.I.E.L.D.-centric “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
Considering she’s also said to be appearing in “The Avengers: Age Of Ultron,” it’s safe to wonder just how many times she’s going to show up to play Maria Hill, and I asked her during our “Delivery Man” how long she’s obligated to Marvel in terms of contract, and I thought her answer was pretty great.
I get it, too. When Chris Evans was wrestling with the decision about whether or not to sign on to play “Captain America,” one of the things he seems most uncomfortable with was the idea that they could contractually press him to show up in something he wasn’t happy about, a film where he wasn’t the main character. At this point, word is that he’s come full-circle and sees that he’s never going to be mistreated by that contract, but that it simply gives Marvel options. Smulders seems game for anything Marvel might have planned.
I think she’s done really interesting work on “HIMYM” over the years, and she’s proven herself game for pretty much anything, so it mystifies me to see so few film roles to her credit yet. Now that the show’s ending, maybe more directors will see her as a viable option and we’ll start to get a better idea of her range.
In the meantime, maybe we’ll see more of her on “Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” in the near future, and you should definitely check her out in the charming “Delivery Man” on November 22nd.