Morena Baccarin is a captivating actress who recently debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but she came close to joining the cast of ​The Avengers back in 2012, which could have made for a very different MCU. Baccarin is a sci-fi icon with roles in shows like Firefly, Stargate, and V.

On top of that, Morena Baccarin has a long history of doing voicework for the DC Animated films, with the actress tackling notable roles like Talia al Ghul, Black Canary and Cheetah. However, one of her biggest roles to date is playing Vanessa opposite Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movies.

Morena Baccarin’s Role In The ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Series Led To Her 2024 MCU Debut With ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

Vanessa Is A Big Part Of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s Story

As Vanessa Carlysle, Baccarin is the only person known to have captured Wade’s heart in the Fox X-Men movies. However, their relationship has been rocky ever since Wade’s mutation broke out, and he decided to avoid Vanessa, leaving her to believe he had died.

Despite their distance, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine saw the pair ᴀssume a more platonic friendship role, though there are definitely still sparks. And thanks to the acquisition of Fox by Disney, this third entry in the series is officially in the MCU.

That means Baccarin is now part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and there is potential for her to return in future films. However, Baccarin had a sH๏τ at joining the most explosively successful franchise of all time way back in 2012, even before she was cast in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool.

Morena Baccarin Reportedly Almost Debuted In The MCU Over A Decade Earlier

Maria Hill Could Have Been Completely Different In The MCU

The Hollywood Reporter reported back in 2011 that there were four main contenders for a big role in the upcoming Avengers movie. Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury, revealed that the role in question was for his “sidekick,” aka Maria Hill.

Along with Cobie Smulders, who would land the part and become an important part of The Avengers movies, Baccarin was in the running. And considering her link to director Joss Whedon, who she’d worked with on Firefly years before, she was speculated to be one of the most likely candidates.

I’m Still So Curious About How Morena Baccarin Playing Maria Hill Could Have Changed The Character

Morena Baccarin Would Have Played A Very Different Version Of Maria Hill

Obviously, Baccarin didn’t end up playing Maria Hill. But, it is interesting to think about how the character might have been different if Baccarin had been cast to play the part. Both Baccarin and Smulders can play confident, strong women incredibly well.

However, Baccarin is also often cast in roles where she uses her femininity more aggressively. Potentially, this could have ended up being very similar to how Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff, which may be part of the reason why Baccarin wasn’t cast.

Ultimately, Smulders was the right pick for the role, and it led to some incredible moments for her character in future projects. However, now that Morena Baccarin is finally in the MCU as Vanessa, it’s exciting to imagine where the character could go, especially considering their larger role in Marvel Comics.