Warning: This article contains spoilers for Secret Invasion episode 1.
Secret Invasion star Cobie Smulders has confirmed that the shocking ending of the Disney Plus series’ first episode was exactly how it appeared. The latest Marvel TV show to hit streaming wasted no time in leaving jaws on the floor by killing off a fan-favorite, who has been with the franchise for over a decade at this point, in the final moments of its opening hour.
Yes, I’m referring to Fury’s loyal right-hand woman and all-round badass Maria Hill, whose death hit folks so hard that various theories have emerged over how this could be all be a fakout, ranging from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. crossovers to the simple fact that she could be a Skrull imposter. For those theorists, however, Smulders herself has some bad news.
While speaking to Vanity Fair in the wake of the tragic apparent demise of Maria Hill in Wednesday’s premiere, the long-term MCU veteran admitted that she’s pretty sure her character really is dead. “I mean, I didn’t know I was an alien in Spider-Man [:Far From Home]. There is a multiverse now, so anything is possible,” Smulders said. “But I’m pretty sure this is it.”
Fans who keep up to date with casting news might already be questioning Smulders’ claims given that she has been credited as appearing in this November’s The Marvels, which Samuel L. Jackson himself has confirmed takes place after the events of Secret Invasion. In this same interview, though, Smulders denied any knowledge of her involvement in the Brie Larson sequel. “I don’t know anything about that,” is all she had to say on the matter.
Given that Smulders previously claimed that she got to dive deeper into Maria than ever before in Secret Invasion, it’s fair to say the actress was telling us a huge fib on that occasion, assuming she’s being on the level this time around. As it stands, we seem to have really seen the last of Maria Hill.