Fans of Maria Hill were stunned last week when the premiere episode of Secret Invasion ended with a scene of the character dying in a pool of her own blood, and while many couldn’t believe Marvel Studios could take out a classic character like that, Marvel.com has published a new interview with Cobie Smulders that seems to confirm the actress is out of the MCU for good. “I think it was unexpected for everyone, including myself, but I think it really adds a level of reality,” Smulders, who was introduced at the very beginning of the first Avengers movie from 2012, said regarding Hill’s apparent death. Fans of Maria Hill had hoped that Secret Invasion would flesh out her relationship with Nick Fury and give her an extended adventure, but instead, the second episode, “Promise,” which dropped yesterday with some cool quotes from Samuel L. Jackson, had her in a casket.
From a Marvel.com post:
It’s a heartbreaking end, considering viewers have been watching Cobie Smulders’ Hill charge into battle alongside a wide array of Super Heroes since making her debut in The Avengers back in 2012. Now, a decade later Smulders is simply thrilled to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for so long, and excited that Secret Invasion raises the stakes to new, grittier heights.
MARVEL.COM: Maria’s death is very sudden and tragic. It comes out of nowhere and I was shocked. What was it like filming that final scene with Sam?
COBIE SMULDERS: It was certainly emotional. It was a bit of a build to that last moment because we were shooting the entire sequence — the explosions, the running, the chasing, that square we were in for a couple of days. Sam and I had some lovely moments. Even though it was a violent send-off, it was a nice day on set for me.