Secret Invasion's Maria Hill Twist Is Old News For Cobie Smulders

This article contains major spoilers for "Secret Invasion."

Between the way Marvel usually runs an incredibly tight ship and the fact that "Secret Invasion" literally has the word "secret" in its title, one would probably expect that the newest Disney+ series had spoilers for any and all future developments on complete lockdown — for fans and cast members alike. After all, this is the same studio that shoots down spy drones, routinely gives out only partial scripts to its actors, and basically had to put a gag order on chatter-boxes Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo. But when it comes to the most shocking death thus far in "Secret Invasion," which saw longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill gunned down in broad daylight during the Moscow terrorist attack carried out by Skrulls in the premiere, Cobie Smulders had known about her character's fate for years.

In an interview with THR (via People), the "How I Met Your Mother" star opened up about her journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her surprise that nobody actually leaked Maria Hill's death ahead of time. As far as how long she's known about this final destination, she revealed:

"I was told right away. I was told right off the bat when [Marvel Studios co-president] Lou D'Esposito gave me a call to chat about just joining up [on 'Secret Invasion'], and so I've known about it for years, which is really funny. It's nice to finally have it out there. I'm surprised I didn't let her slip, so I've known for a while."

That's doubly surprising, considering the fact that her death scene was filmed out in the open and on-location in the English town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, with tons of extras just milling around. But this is the MCU, so is she really gone?

As the saying goes, nobody stays dead in superhero media unless it's Uncle Ben or Jonathan Kent. While "Secret Invasion" comes with the built-in excuse of having anyone potentially be a Skrull in disguise at any given moment, the show's second chapter (you can read my recap of the episode here) seemed to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hill was truly dead and gone. But for several years now, the MCU has also emphasized the idea of multiverses and time-travel shenanigans that theoretically make anything possible. So does Cobie Smulders see herself suiting up again sometime down the line? She doesn't go so far as to commit to anything, preferring to leave things open-ended:

"That's sort of for them to decide. I will always answer the call, but I have no idea what they have planned for future productions. But I guess anything's possible in the multiverse."

Barring some unlikely flashback cameo or resurrection in the future, "Secret Invasion" seems to have brought an end to Maria Hill's appearances in the MCU. Having first been introduced in 2012's "The Avengers" and going on to reprise her role in various supporting appearances on the big screen (and even on television, as well, in ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."), fans will surely miss her presence moving forward — even as some may be disappointed by how the character stacks up to her comic book counterpart. Either way, her death certainly has an impact on Fury in the show's second episode and will likely continue to be felt throughout the rest of the season.

New episodes of "Secret Invasion" hit Disney+ every Wednesday.