'How I Met Your Mother' Star Joins the Marvel Universe

Marvel is adding more stars to its roster.

Iron Man's side hero lineup during Captain America: Civil War, (left to right) Black Panther, Vision, Iron Man, Black Widow, and War Machine — Credit: Marvel Studios

With Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man/Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ Captain America/Steve Rogers no longer part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the franchise has entered a new phase known as the Multiverse Saga.

Thor grabbing Thanos by the side of the head — Credit: Marvel Studios

Despite worries about “superhero fatigue” and the exit of Jonathan Majors, who played Kang the Conqueror, Marvel Studios is set to once again reshape the Marvel movie landscape.

A smiling Bob Iger is superimposed in front of a colorful montage featuring the characters from the Avengers film series. — Credit: Inside the Magic

With Jonathan Majors no longer part of Marvel Studios, and President Kevin Feige considering a shift from the Multiverse Saga to what seems to be the Mutant Saga featuring X-Men characters, Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) is reportedly in development, though on an allegedly smaller scale than previous installments.

Following this will be Avengers 6, Avengers: Secret Wars, which is expected to conclude the Multiverse era of the MCU. Before that, however, the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) will integrate the Fox X-Men universe into the MCU.

A person in a red and black full-body suit, unmistakably reminiscent of Deadpool, wearing a mask with white eye patches and two swords strapped to their back, is pointing forward with their right hand. The background is light, suggesting an outdoor setting. — Credit: Marvel Studios

According to Variety, the How I Met Your Mother sitcom star Cristin Milioti, who played the titular “Mother”, Tracy Mosby, has joined the Hulu and Marvel Comics-derived show Hit-Monkey (2021).

Milioti will play Iris, described officially as:

Iris has grown up vowing never to be like the father, Bryce, who abandoned her, but when fate brings them back together, she realizes that she and her old man are cut from the same cloth as they hurtle towards a final reconciliation.

Hit-Monkey, created by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, is a unique and darkly humorous animated series from Marvel that debuted on Hulu in November 2021. The show follows a Japanese snow monkey (AKA Hit-Monkey) who embarks on a path of vengeance after his tribe is slaughtered. Guided by the ghost of an American assassin named Bryce, voiced by Jason Sudeikis, Hit-Monkey sets out to take down Tokyo’s underworld.

Apart from Marvel superhero works, Milioti will also be playing the role of Sofia Falcone in the (HBO) Max DC Studios (and “DC Elseworlds”) project The Penguin, starring Colin Ferrell as the Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) himself.

Cristin Milioti as Tracy (left) having a conversation with Neil Patrick Harris (right) as Barney Stinson, sitting on a bench and looking at each other. — Credit: CBS

On top of starring in How I Met Your Mother opposite Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson), Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby), Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen), Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin), and star of Marvel Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky) who plays Agent Maria Hill, Milioti is known for her roles in TV projects like Black Mirror (2017) Season 2 of Fargo (2015), Max’s Made for Love (2021-2022), and Peacock’s The Resort (2022).

Milioti has also acted in films like Palm Springs (2020) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).

What’s Next for the MCU?

The Marvel Studios formula has evolved beyond the Infinity Stone-centric Infinity Saga, incorporating a wider array of stories and characters. Iconic films like Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019) have marked significant transitions, as beloved heroes retire or bid farewell.

These include Black Panther/King T’Challa (originally portrayed by Chadwick Boseman, now Letitia Wright), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), and Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The Disney+ suite of Marvel Television works, including the Nick Fury-centric series Secret Invasion (2023), further expands the universe.

On the horizon is the new Avengers team, with the Young Avengers venture starring Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, introduced in the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels (2023). While Spider-Man/Peter Parker star Tom Holland is taking a brief hiatus, he is set to return in Spider-Man 4.

Upcoming projects include Captain America: Brave New World, starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, and Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. This series might also bring back Netflix-era Marvel TV heroes like Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Jessica Jones (Kristen Ritter). Additionally, the Fantastic Four will make their grand debut in the coming years, with Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards.

Have you watched Hit-Monkey? Are you excited for the second season? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!