' first sitcom since How I Met Your Mother has received a major setback. Since her debut in the early 2000s, with guest turns on shows like Smallville and Tru Calling, Smulders has taken on a variety of roles. She's played Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, acting as a reliable presence across different movies and series.
She's played crucial supporting parts on anthologies such asAmerican Crime Story and teen dramas like High School. Her most enduring role, though, remains as How I Met Your Mother's Robin Scherbatsky. More than a decade after the popular sitcom ended, Smulders was set to return to sitcoms with the potential series Friends & Family. According to a new report, that is now unlikely.
Deadline reports that . The pilot would have marked Smulders' first main role in a comedy since the end of How I Met Your Mother in 2014. It would have also marked her return to ABC after the crime dramedy Stumptown had its renewal reversed in 2020.
Friends & Family hails from Morgan Murphy, describing itself as a heartwarming tale that “explores the intricate dynamics of friendships and family bonds.” In particular, according to Tales From The Collection's production update, the pilot would have been set against the backdrop of modern relationships and what it means to support each other
It would have been familiar ground for Smulders, given her time on HIMYM. But even with the setback in her return to network television, the actress still has a number of varied projects lined up in the coming months. Two of those are in high-profile streaming series.
Smulders will next appear in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4. She'll reportedly play Allison, a character that's important to the lead character Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and could return for season 5. She will also once again appear in Shrinking, . Smulders plays Sofi in the Apple TV+ dramedy, a potential love interest for Jimmy (Segel).
On the movie side, Smulders will star in the psychological thriller Sharp Corners opposite Ben Foster. She'll also lead the dramedy Jill Takes A Break alongside Thomas Sadoski. Audiences will still see a lot of the fan-favorite performer, which is a relief. However, the gap between How I Met Your Mother and Smulders' next network TV sitcom will only get longer.
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Source: Deadline
