SMULDERS IS MARVEL LINK
Actress reprises role in sequel
So far, Vancouver’s Cobie Smulders is relishing her tour of duty in the Marvel universe.
As the determined S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, she co-starred in the superhero flicks The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier and showed up on two episodes of the network series Agents of SHIELD.
Smulders reprises her part in the Joss Whedon sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, which reunites the battling champions of peace on Earth but with a twist: This time the enemy is within instead of outer space.
With SHIELD obliterated, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) constructs a deadly war robot called Ultron (voiced by James Spader) to protect the human race from another extraterrestrial invasion. As irony, and Whedon’s script, would have it, the flawed artificial intelligence program inside Ultron transforms the war machine into mankind’s ultimate enemy.
Back in the defending business are Iron Man (Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) with the able assistance from Smulder’s agent Hill.
Smulders, the 33-year-old former model, finds herself in a new phase on the professional front with last year’s conclusion of the Emmy-winning sitcom How I Met Your Mother, where she portrayed TV reporter Robin Scherbatsky. She sat down with Postmedia News for a Canadian exclusive one-on-one interview at the Disney studio lot in Burbank, Calif., to talk about her life after How I Met Your Mother — and the new Avengers film.
Q Is your Hill character starting to believe in the superhero crew?
A She’s warming up to the idea of using their superhero powers for good in the movie. When you read the comic book, she’s very anti that.
Q Hill seems like she’s on her own this time. Is she?
A First of all, she gets hired by Tony Stark, so she’s like a onewoman team. She doesn’t have the agents of SHIELD at her disposal, but she still keeps on eye on everybody.
Q Do you like the ensemble nature of the Avengers movies?
A I think we all feel it is a group effort. It was a nice reunion to see them again.
Q Are you anticipating more appearances in Marvel movies?
A With the Marvel world, there are so many different characters and so many places to go, and it is real cool to be invited to the party. So I hope I will be invited again.
Q Do you have a special relationship with Whedon?
A I think we all do. If he calls, I answer.
Q Is it overwhelming to promote the Marvel films, especially at San Diego’s Comic-Con?
A It is. Comic-Con is the closest I am ever going to get to feel like I am on stage in a rock concert.
Q Do your fans recognize you as How I Met Your Mother’s Robin or The Avengers’ Maria?
A It’s usually Robin and then they say, “I love The Avengers.”
Q Did you enjoy the TV series run?
A I do realize what a gift it was to be in such a great show for nine years, especially having that consistency when you have a family. I was very grateful.
Q Is it difficult to recall all the episodes?
A We did over 200 of them, and sometimes people come up to me to talk about an episode, and I have to really think about it to remember.
Q How is your working life after How I Met Your Mother?
A It’s definitely been a shift. It’s almost been a year since we wrapped the show.
Q Have you been busy?
A Right after, I went to shoot Avengers (Age of Ultron) in London and then I shot a film (called Results) in Austin and then one (Unexpected) in Chicago.
Q Are you picky about the roles you select?
A It’s whatever comes my way, but I can be little bit choosy. It’s nice to choose a character that interests me.
Q Are you excited about career prospects?
A I don’t know whether it’s the Canadian in me, but when I finish a job, I think, “Well, that was fun and I am never going to work again.”