Adrianne Palicki has declared herself game for a return to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fold at some point in the future. Joining the show in 2014 alongside Nick Blood (Lance Hunter), Palicki portrayed S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Barbara “Bobbi” Morse, otherwise known as Mockingbird, but the duo left the show in season three episode “Parting Shot” after being forced to leave the titular organization.
The intention was that Palicki and Blood – both of whom were well received by fans – would go on to star in their own spinoff series entitled Marvel’s Most Wanted but after an unaired pilot, the project was never picked up for a full series, leaving fans of Bobbi and Hunter out in the cold. Although Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s recent Framework storyline allowed for the return of some previously departed characters such as Agent Triplett and Grant Ward, both Bobbi and Hunter remained absent. Interestingly, it has since been confirmed that Nick Blood’s Hunter will be returning in the forthcoming season 5.
Adrianne Palicki, currently starring in The Orville, has now confirmed that she’d be very interested in reprising the character of Mockingbird in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Speaking at New York Comic Con (via the International Business Times), the actress stated:
“If they ask me, I would absolutely come back. I know Nick’s coming back, so what are they gonna do without Bobbi is all I’m asking. I would absolutely make a cameo. For sure.”
Although it certainly sounds like Palicki’s experience on Most Wanted hasn’t deterred her from working with Marvel in the future, her added “cameo” caveat does bring into question whether the actress would return to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on a full-time basis. Her current position alongside Seth MacFarlane on The Orville would perhaps make a proper return for Bobbi unlikely in the immediate future but if the science-fiction drama/comedy hybrid proves to be short-lived, Palicki may find herself up for more than a simple cameo appearance.
One sizeable question mark hanging over any future re-appearance of either Bobbi or Hunter is how those two, currently Earth-bound, characters will fit into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5’s space setting. As revealed at the end of season 4, Coulson and the gang have been kidnapped by a mysterious group and currently find themselves prisoners on board an unidentified space station. With the Most Wanted duo seemingly out of the spy game, they’re unlikely to have the resources necessary to be of any use to their former S.H.I.E.L.D. colleagues.
With that said, Nick Blood’s return to the show may provide some indication of how a future reappearance for Bobbi could work. The two characters had excellent chemistry and entangled character arcs, meaning when Hunter does come back in season 5, he’ll likely give viewers an update on Bobbi’s status to boot.
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 premieres December 1st on ABC.
