This fall marks the launch of the final season of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ the long-running sitcom that made a star out of Cobie Smulders.  Besides that show, Smulders’ biggest role to date has been as Maria Hill in ‘The Avengers.’  With ‘HIMYM’ wrapping up, it sounds like a natural maneuver for Smulders to transition over to ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’, one of this fall’s most anticipated new series.  She reprises her role as Maria Hill in the series’ pilot, directed by Joss Whedon, and rumor has it she will be the person responsible for explaining how Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is still alive, following the events of ‘The Avengers.’

The Hollywood Reporter caught up to the actress and asked about the likelihood of her returning to the show.  “I’m up for it, it’s just a matter of the direction that they decide to go with the show.  I don’t know how much they’ll be at the Command Center and how much they need me around. If it works out organically with the story line, then I’d be happy to come in but I truly don’t know.”

However, things look shakier for a full-time commitment to ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ after ‘Mother’ concludes.  “It’s hard to say. I’m planning a big move to New York, so that’s a pretty huge factor in doing another series in Los Angeles.  This is the joy and the terror of coming off of a show after nine years: What should I do, what should I not do?! If the right project comes along, of course I’d return to TV. But I’d like to focus in film and on theater right now.”

So it doesn’t sound like viewers should expect a weekly dose of Maria Hill in 2014.  Even so, she seemed delighted to have worked with Joss Whedon and his crew again on the pilot.  “I was so excited to work with Joss again and to meet his brother, Jed and his wife Maurissa and get to hang out with them again.  They’re all geniuses. Joss sent me my scenes and it was so great to see this character interacting in a different way and to basically get to tell the world that Coulson is ‘alive’ and back with a TV show where you can watch him every week. I was excited about that more than anything.”

So it sounds like Coulson and his freshmen agents will have to make do without Maria Hill’s assistance, at least on a regular basis.  But she’s likely to return in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ so there’s something.

Are you disappointed that Smulders won’t be joining the S.H.I.E.L.D. tv show full time?  Or are you waiting to see how the existing cast works before deciding?  Comment below!