Origin
Maria was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother died during childbirth, something her father always resented her for. When she grew older she joined the armed forces then went on to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill was elected into the Directorate position by the President after Nick Fury went AWOL at the end of Secret War. Though there were others more suited for the position, Maria was chosen for not being a “Fury Loyalist” (Which was seen as highly unfavorable).She has very little respect in the Super-human community for many reasons, such as trying to prohibit the Avengers reforming, and blackmailing Wonder Man to work for SHIELD.
Creation
Maria Hill is created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artists David Finch and Danny Miki. She first appeared in New Avengers Vol.1 issue 4 (2005).
Major Story Arcs
Civil War
Maria Hill became a mayor player soon after Nick Fury left S.H.I.E.L.D. She was adamantly in support of the Super-human Registration Act, nearly forcing Captain America into the Resistance after attacking him (Since he would not sign the act). Maria’s allegiances lie more towards the United States, than to the international community as SHIELD is supposed to.
As the 50 State Initiative was set in motion, Maria passed the mantle of leadership to Tony Stark, realizing she was not the right person for the job. She became Stark’s deputy director. During her time as his deputy, she grew to trust Stark more and her methods became much more in-conventional then they had been before.
Secret Invasion and Dark Reign
During Secret Invasion, the Helicarrier is attacked and taken over by Skrulls whilst she was on it. The Skrull tells her the Skrulls had caused her to be made Director and her job was to publicly surrender on behalf of humanity. Maria doesn’t back down and she’s gunned down. However Hill had used a LMD and the real Maria escaped and blew up the Helicarrier, killing the Skrulls on board. During Dark Reign, S.H.I.E.L.D was turned into H.A.M.M.E.R, Hill was fired by Norman Osborn and Maria began to work more closely with Tony and helps in various missions. Hill and Stark grow closer in their time spent together, even acting more intimately with each other on occasion.
Siege
After Osborn invades Asgard during Siege, Maria arrives before the Avengers and on her own with a huge gun. Maria saves Thor from being murdered by Osborn’s forces and is instrumental in the fight against him. Steve Rodgers took notice of her actions during Siege and appointed her to lead a new team of Avengers. During a meeting of the three Avengers liaisons, Victoria Hand, Sharon Carter and Maria are discussing various Avengers affairs when the Absorbing Man attacks them. Maria comes up with a plan to defeat him. Together they beat him and arrest him again. Maria still works with Tony even during her time spent with the Avengers.
Back as Director
Maria Hill has since resumed her role as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. As such, she has been working more closely with superheroes and even with the mutant team known as the X-Men in hoping to capture the fugitive Cyclops for his role in the murder of Charles Xavier. She still has a no-nonsense attitude, but is more open to working with the superhero community then before.
Personal Data
- Real Name: Maria Hill
- Height: 5′ 11″
- Weight: 150 lbs.
- Eyes: Brown
- Hair: Black
Status
- Citizenship: American
- Place of Birth: Chicago , USA
- Marital Status: Unknown
- Education: Unknown
- Affiliations: Formerly S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Occupations: Former Deputy Director and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Known Relatives: Unknown
Alternate Versions
On Earth-1610, the Ultimate version of Maria Hill is a homicide detective with the NYPD. She investigates the deaths of Aaron Davis and Betty Brant, which leads her to figure out that Miles Morales is Spider-Man.
In Other Media
Film
The Avengers (2012)
How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders plays Maria Hill in the live-action film The Avengers. She is a central member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and works closely with Nick Fury, though she is skeptical of his Avengers Initiative. She is injured during Loki’s attack on the Helicarrier, but is shown to trust the Avengers by the end of the film. She is also depicted as a skilled marksman and combatant, as she manages to avoid being killed by a brainwashed Hawkeye at the beginning of the film.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Smulders reprises her role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Hill plays a more active role this time around, assisting Captain America, Falcon, and Black Widow in their battle against rogue factions within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization.
Age of Ultron (2015)
Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the film, she is now working for Tony Stark after the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D., and helps coordinate the Avengers. It is later revealed that she has secretly been reporting to Fury the entire time, and is present when Fury brings out the Helicarrier to help evacuate Sokovia. In the finale, she is shown helping run the New Avengers Compound in upstate New York.
Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019)
Cobie Smulders briefly reprises her role as Maria Hill in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War. After Thanos completes and activates the Infinity Gauntlet in Wakanda, Maria and Fury are seen as two of the numerous people who are vaporized in order to balance the universe’s population.
In the immediate follow-up, Avengers: Endgame, both Maria and Fury are resurrected after the Hulk uses the Infinity Stones to bring back those who had been killed by Thanos.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Cobie Smulders once again reprises her role in Spider-Man: Far From Home. In the film, she and Fury work with a new hero called Mysterio to help battle a group of enemies called the Elementals . At the end of the film, it’s revealed that Fury and Maria were actually the disguised Skrulls Talos and Soren, who had impersonated the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at the behest of the real Nick Fury.
Television
Marvel’s Agents of SH.I.E.L.D.
Maria Hill appears in the pilot episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Cobie Smulders reprising her role. Her role is limited to that of a cameo, where she assists Coulson vet candidates for his new team. She also displays some knowledge of the darker mystery surrounding his resurrection. She is alluded to at several points later in the series, but does not actually make a physical appearance due to Smulders’ commitments to other projects.
Hill eventually returns in the episode “Nothing Personal,” where she returns from giving a testimony before politicians in Washington. It is also mentioned that with S.H.I.E.L.D. having been disbanded, she has now taken a job at Stark Industries. Hill makes one final appearance in the Season 2 episode “The Dirty Half Dozen,” where Coulson contacts her with intel about Loki’s scepter, which leads into the events of the Age of Ultron movie.
Animation
Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Maria Hill appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode “Technovore.” She is seen working alongside other agents and approaching Tony Stark about needing the Helicarrier’s engines repaired. She has a Russian accent in this show, similar to Natasha Romanoff. In the series, she is voiced by Tabitha St. Germain.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Maria Hill is featured in The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes voiced by Kari Wührer. She appears as a central member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a protege of Nick Fury serving as his second-in-command and being explicitly taken for tasks. She is often being corrected over mistakes or quizzed on her knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D. affairs. She maintains her comic self’s hard-edged and aggressive nature as seen in the episode “Iron Man is Born” where she immediately tried to arrest Iron Man at gunpoint when he took a threatening stance towards Fury. After she and Nick Fury foil a break-out plot by Baron Strucker and Grim Reaper at the Vault, Maria asks Nick Fury if the three supervillain prisons (Vault, Cube, and Big House) and are like this. Nick Fury tells her that “all four are different” causing Maria to wonder what the fourth prison is. In “The Breakout” Pt. 1, Maria Hill’s question about the fourth prison is answered when it turns out to be the The Raft. In “Hail, Hydra” she is the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D after Nick Fury’s sudden disappearance, and tried to arrest the Avengers. She did offer them a chance to register and work for S.H.I.E.L.D but the Avengers refused. In “The Ultron Imperative” it is revealed that at least in this reality her middle name is Christina.
Iron Man: Rise of Technovore
Maria Hill appears in the anime film Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher
Maria Hill also appears in Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, with Wahlgren reprising her role, and Junko Minagawa voicing her in the original Japanese audio track.
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
Maria Hill appears in the anime series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and one of Nick Fury’s top agents. She was voiced by Akenko Watanabe.
What If…?
Cobie Smulders reprises her role as Maria Hill in the What If…? animated series for Disney+.
Video Games
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
Maria Hill appears as an NPC in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Margaret Easley. After Nick Fury disappeared after the attack on Doom’s castle, Maria Hill was deemed in as the Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D. After Captain America objected to help Maria Hill, she turned to Iron Man to help oversee the Superhuman Registration Act. The players had to choose whether to sign up or go against the SRA. During the attack at Geffen-Meyer Chemical Plant, she piloted the Helicarrier to see that no Anti-Registration heroes can escape. When it came to the players invading Ryker’s Island to get a nanite sample, Maria Hill encounters them with some S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. She reluctantly gives up the key card to the portal leading to Prison 42. After the nanite-controlled supervillains incident at Prison 42, Maria Hill and some S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents confronted both groups to arrest Captain America’s group. When Iron Man asks for Maria to get some medics for both groups, Maria declines stating that she is under direct orders from the President. When Iron Man threatens to have both sides retaliate, Maria Hill reluctantly tells her men to get the medics. Three days later, Maria Hill was present at the memorial service for the missing and presumed deceased heroes following the Prison 42 incident
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Maria Hill appears in Marvel: Avengers Alliance, she appears in the mission briefings, presenting the Agents mission, along with Nick Fury and Iron Man.
Marvel Heroes
Maria is a non-playable character in the game. She is voiced by Kari Wührer.
Marvel: War of Heroes
Maria Hill appears in several cards in the mobile card game Marvel: War of Heroes. Her cards are:
- Maria Hill
- [Beautiful Genius Commander] Maria Hill
- [Break Time] Maria Hill
- [Grace Under Pressure] Maria Hill
- [Up Through the Ranks] Maria Hill
- [In Command] Maria Hill
- [New Blood] Maria Hill
Lego Marvel´s Avengers
Maria Hill is a playable character in the game, with Cobie Smulders reprising her role from the movies. She can be played in her comic costume or her Avengers: Age of Ultron version.
Avengers Academy
Maria Hill is a playable character in the game. She is recruitable during the regular story mode during the “Student of S.H.I.E.L.D.” quest. She is voiced by Kari Wahlgrem.
Merchandise
- Sideshow Collectibles released a Maria Hill 1/6th scale figure.
- Hasbro released a Maria Hill figure as part of the SDCC exclusive Helicarrier set.
- Hot Toys released a Maria Hill figure from Avengers: Age of Ultron as a Toy Fair exclusive.
- Maria Hill was featured in the HeroClix figure game.
- Hasbro released a Maria Hill figure as part of a Marvel Legends two-pack with Iron Man.
- Hasbro released a Maria Hill figure as part of a Marvel Legends three-pack with Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.
Novels
Maria Hill appears in the novel New Avengers: Breakout, working as the temporary head of S.H.I.E.L.D. while Nick Fury is working deep cover. This version of Maria is explicitly stated to be of Latina descent.