One Avengers Star Is Unsure Of Their Future In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Linda Cardinelli in The Age of Ultron

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever-changing property, but it's in a particularly interesting place right now. We're currently occupying the interim period between phases, with the fandom eager to see the franchise return to theaters with Black Widow. With the Infinity Saga behind us, there's no telling what the studio has planned, as the franchise expands with movies and live-action TV shows on Disney+. That confusion also appears to include the MCU's cast, like actress Linda Cardellini.

Linda Cardellini made her MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron playing Hawkeye's wife Laura Barton. She also briefly appeared in the chilling opening sequence of Avengers: Endgame, showing how Thanos' snap ripped through Clint's family. Fans are eager to see her return to the MCU, but Cardellini has no idea if/when she might appear again. As she put it,

I mean, you know, it was one of those things where I was sort of brought into the universe and it truly is its own universe. It’s its own entity with this fandom that is incredible and to be part of it is, I don’t know, it’s pretty fun. My daughter’s friends love it. It’s one of those kinds of things, you know? So it’s always fun. I mean, would I love to see a Laura Barton movie? Sure! But I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I think people are more interested in the superheroes.

Well, that was honest. It looks like Linda Cardellini would be happy to play Laura Barton again, but isn't sure if that's actually going to happen. After all, she hasn't been an especially big role in the MCU thus far, as the properties are usually focused on the superheroes that populate the shared universe.

Linda Cardellini's comments to Collider may disappoint some Marvel fans, who are hoping the Dead to Me actress would return to the MCU sooner rather than later. Moviegoers are eager to dive back into the comic book universe, and Cardellini would be down for a solo flick of their own. But she's a cog in a larger Marvel machine, which includes a very specific plan for storytelling.

Marvel fans can re-watch Linda Cardellini's time as Laura Barton on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.

While there's no indication as to when Laura Barton will be back on the big screen, fans are hoping she might pop up on our televisions thanks to Disney+. Jeremy Renner will have his own limited series as Hawkeye on the new streaming service, where the OG Avenger will be training his daughter to become a superhero. This seems like the obvious choice for Laura Barton to appear, although the show's casting hasn't been revealed.

The Hawkeye series was originally set to begin filming this fall, but it's currently unclear if those plans are still in action. TV and film sets around the world have been shut down due to global health issues, which may effect the timeline on the live-action series. There are a handful of other exciting MCU shows coming to Disney+ first, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision and Loki.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on November 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.