Whether Maria Hill is fighting alongside the Avengers or being Nick Fury’s right-hand woman, she is quick to protect those around her from the various alien invasions Earth continues to experience. Maria Hill was introduced in the comics inNew Avengers#4 in 2005 and was created by Brain Michael Bendis and David Finch. She is the second most important S.H.I.E.L.D. affiliated character in Marvel, behind only Nick Fury. Her arrival in theMCUseemed like a foregone conclusion by the end ofIron Man, and just four years later, she made her cinematic debut.
Updated June 27, 2025: If you love the MCU, you’ll be happy to know this article has been updated byRobin Reynoldswith additional details following the release ofSecret Invasion.
The role of Maria Hill was a coveted one that saw many high profile stars screentest for it. This includedV’s Morena Baccarin,Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead, andCloverfield’s Jessica Lucas. Yet in the end, it wasCobie Smulderswho won the part. Since then, she has been a vital supporting character in the MCU, having appeared in nine of the MCU’s many movies and TV series, one of which is the 2023Disney+ seriesSecret Invasion, which just recently aired its season finale. It has been a long road for the character so here is every one of her apperances in the MCU ranked.
9Avengers: Endgame (2019)
During one of the fights inAvengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange tells Tony Stark they have one chance to beat Thanos. At the final battle inAvengers: Endgame, after the Hulk usesthe Infinity Stonesto bring everyone back, an epic battle ensues, as the Avengers fight to bring the Stones back to their original timeline before Thanos can get his hands on them. Stark hijacks the Stones from Thanos and delivers his own form of justice at the cost of his life. Maria Hill appears during the funeral for Tony Stark, but only as an observer. She is not given any lines in the entire film, and it certainly felt like a missed opportunity not to have her be part of the action in the final showdown against Thanos. Maria Hill had earned her place alongside the rest of the heroes.
8Avengers: Infinity War (Post-Credits Scene, 2018)
DuringAvengers: Infinity War, the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Wakandans assembled to fight Thanos and suffered brutal loss. While Maria Hill doesn’t appear in the main parts of the film, she and Nick Fury appear inthe post-credits scene. Driving through New York City, Nick and Maria notice something weird and pull over to assess and help. This is key to Maria’s character: jumping into action to help people. As she looks into empty cars, she calls out for Nick, who is just as confused looking for people, not knowing about the events in Wakanda. Another aspect of Maria’s character is looking to Nick when something is weird.
7Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Various Episodes)
Maria Hill appears in three episodes of the TV showAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In the pilot episode, Maria helps Coulson and his team readjust to the world after the Battle of New York, something she does throughout her appearances. During Season 1, Episode 20, she teams up with Agent Coulson to help with the fallout of S.H.I.E.L.D. due to the events seen inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Finally, in Season 2, Episode 19, she makes a brief appearance to retrieve information, something she’s quite excellent at, from Coulson that leads to the opening events ofAvengers: Age of Ultron.
Related:Secret Invasion: Who Are the Skrulls and What Do They Want?
While fans might have hoped for Smolders to appear in the series more after her commitment to How I Met Your Mother ended, the series went off in its own direction and introduced its own batch of characters. Even still, Hill’s presence on the series helped sell audiences to it being in the MCU.
6Spider-Man: Far From Home (2022)
Her appearance inSpider-Man: Far From Homereally showcases Maria’s skill set that audiences grew accustomed to in previous Marvel films. While Peter Parker is on a cross-continent trip with his classmates in Europe, elemental monsters attack. Peter finds himself being recruited by Nick Fury, with Maria Hill and Mysterio at his side.
During the post-credits scene, it’s revealed that both this Maria and Nick are Skrulls, which ties intoSecret Invasion’sstoryline. According to an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Smulders had no idea that Maria Hill and Nick Fury were Skrulls until one week before the premiere. Even if it wasn’t the real Maria Hill, Smolder’s presence in the film is one of the many reasons whySpider-Man: Far From Homeis delightful.
5Secret Invasion (2023)
Maria’s appearance inSecret Invasionhappens in Episode 1, ironically titledResurrection, where she has once again partnered with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), along with the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) to battle some of the Skrulls who want to take over Earth. Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), the Skrull rebellion leads the two former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and their Skrull ally to a crowded area full of innocent civilians. Gravik transforms into Fury and approaches Maria, only to shoot her and walk away. This allows the Skrulls infiltrating the government to eventually attempt to use the video footage of her being shot in an attempt to frame Nick Fury.
This episode’s final moment of Maria bleeding out and dying is one fans won’t soon forget. It certainly is frustrating to have her die so early on in the series, and to have her death exist only to motivate a man, yet in her one episode, Smolder’s gives one great performance. Because of the multiverse aspects of the MCU, Maria’s death doesn’t mean the end for the actress. Reporedly she is still set to appear as Maria Hill once again in the upcomingThe Marvels, which releases June 05, 2025, perPeople Magazine.
4What If…? (2021)
During Season 1, Episode 7, Smulders lends her voice to the animated version of Maria Hill. In true S.H.I.E.L.D. agency fashion, a series of extraterrestrial events occurred, and Maria led a group of agents to investigate. While theWhat If…?series explores the possible events that could transpire if one aspect of a known story were to change, some characters remain the same for the most part. In the case of Maria Hill, she remains focused and direct, but she is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. instead of being Deputy Director. It is a nice peek into the potential her character could have had in the MCU.
Related:What If…? Season 2: MCU Characters We Want to See
3Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
While Maria Hill might have a smaller role inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierthan some would expect, she serves an important role. She is briefly seen on a call with Fury, saying she will arrive in DC, and later when Fury is declared dead, she vanishes from the movie. Then, in Act 2, when the heroes are captured, she springs to break them out and save them. She accompanies Captain America and The Falcon to retake the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarriers. She might not get the poster treatment like Black Widow or Nick Fury, but Maria Hill is vital to Captain America winning the day.
2Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Director Joss Whedon’s secondAvengersfilmAge of Ultronmoved away from the alien invasion and focuses on a villain closer to home: a genocidal AI robot built from alien technology. Maria Hill is now working close with The Avengers in some official capacity. She later appears at the celebration, asking why Dr. Jane Foster and Pepper Potts are missing, only to walk away with James Rhodes.
In previous appearances, Maria Hill is serious and concerned with the safety of others. Yet, in this instance, it shows she recognizes how much she knows the Avengers and how much she cares about them. The party scene also allows audiences to see another side of Maria Hill, a more laid-back and casual side outside of work, which makes her more human. Moments later, when the broken Ultron emerges, she is the first to have her weapon ready. Additionally, her body physically shifts from being relaxed and enjoying a laugh to warrior mode. This scene encapsulates Maria perfectly.
1Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
Maria’s introduction into the MCU was in director Joss Whedon’sMarvel’s The Avengers. She is focused, direct, and ready for action. Despite working with the then-misfit arrangement of superheroes, she isn’t amused by Tony Stark’s attempts to make light of the situation. After Natasha Romanoff discovers Loki’s intentions and all hell breaks loose, Maria is quick to direct the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on keeping the Helicarrier in the sky and the city of NYC safe.
Of each introduction to a new character in the MCU, Maria Hill’s is one of the most impressive. If it weren’t for her swiftness into action as commander, it’s unimaginable how the Avengers could’ve saved NYC from Loki. Smolder commands the screen whenever she is on, holding her own against the various heroes, and quickly establishes herself as a character to watch in the MCU.
