Cobie Smulders in Final Negotiations to Play SHIELD Agent Maria Hill in ‘The Avengers’

Actress Cobie Smulders has emerged as the frontrunner to portray the character of Maria Hill in Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming superhero film, The Avengers.

The How I Met Your Mother star is one of five actresses vying for the role of Nick Fury’s female sidekick. V’s Morena Baccarin, Friends with Benefits’ Jessica Lucas, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead have been confirmed as other candidates by Deadline.

Hill is a ruthless SHIELD agent with a reputation for committing blackmail and bullying superheroes. The character serves as an interim executive director and deputy director before being appointed as the leader of a new team of Avengers by Steve Rogers, according to Comic Book Resources.

Avengers director Joss Whedon viewed Smulders as a strong candidate for Wonder Woman before Warner Brothers pulled the plug on the project. The actress may sign a contract to star in nine Marvel Studios films by the end of the weekend.

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo are the lead actors in the ensemble cast, Variety reports. Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston, and Kevin Pennington have also been confirmed as cast members.

The Avengers is scheduled for theatrical release on May 4, 2012 in 3-D.