Clark Gregg may not be the only Avengers star to reprise his role in Joss Whedon's ABC pilot S.H.I.E.L.D.
How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders could be stepping back into her role as Maria Hill, an agent within the organization at the center of the ABC pilot.
"The commitments to [How I Met Your Mother] don't affect it and I can't really say but there are definite talks about it," she told website IAmRogue.com over the weekend.
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Smolders and the cast of the long-running CBS comedy are reportedly near a deal for a ninth and final season of the series, which would take it through the 2013-14 season, where Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. is likely to land on the schedule.
The project from ABC Studios is based on Marvel Comics' secret intelligence organization that has appeared in countless titles including Iron Man, Captain America and The Ultimates since being introduced in the 1960s. The military law-enforcement agency's moniker stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate, which also has evolved over time in the comics.
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"We fast-tracked that, and we'll see it a lot earlier than the others," ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee said earlier this month of the ABC Studios/Marvel TV effort starring Ming-Na. "We're very hopeful that's going to go to series. … It's a great script."
Whedon is on board to co-pen the pilot alongside his brother Jed Whedon and Jed's wife, Maurissa Tancharoen; the trio teamed on the three-part web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Avengers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Whedon will direct the pilot. The pilot -- and series, should it move forward -- is executive produced by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb.
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For his part, Avenges alum Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the network's adaptation, bringing the character who (spoiler alert!) died in the feature.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
