'How I Met Your Mother's' Cobie Smulders to Join 'Avengers' Cast as Maria Hill

How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders is expected to join Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and other screen luminaries in Marvel Studios’ superhero ensemble film The Avengers, Variety reports. In the anticipated 2012 flick—written and helmed by genre-friendly director Joss Whedon—Smulders will play S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill.

According to Variety, Smulders’ deal is for nine films, similar to the multi-picture agreements signed by many of her Avengers castmates.

Smulders has phenomenal comic timing on How I Met Your Mother, but I have to admit I don’t necessarily see her playing an imposing authority figure like Agent Hill. Then again, if Whedon is known for anything, it’s hard-as-nails females. Well, that and bad luck with the Fox network.

The Avengers hits theaters on May 4, 2012.