What wonderful casting.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the ABC TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has cast Adrianne Palicki in the role of Barbara "Bobbi" Morse, better known as the superhero Mockingbird. Palicki will appear in the fifth episode of the new season, with the potential to return, and the episode will "find her popping in perhaps not as an ally to Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team."
No stranger to comic book roles, Palicki was previously cast as Wonder Woman in NBC's failed 2011 pilot produced by David E. Kelley, as Nadia in The WB's failed 2006 pilot Aquaman, and as Kara/Lindsey Harrison in the Smallville episode "Covenant." The actress is also known for playing Lady Jaye in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation and for playing Tyra Collette on the series Friday Night Lights.
Palicki joins a number of new actors/characters for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second season, including Kyle MacLachlan as Skye's unnamed father, Lucy Lawless as veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Isabelle Hartly, Reed Diamond as Hydra agent Kraken/Daniel Whitehall, Henry Simmons as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Alphonso "Mac" Mackenzie, and Simon Kassianides as Bakshi.
Created by Gerry Conway and Barry Windsor-Smith, Bobbi Morse first appeared in 1971's Astonishing Tales (vol.1) #6 and later became Mockingbird in 1980's Marvel Team-Up (vol.1) #95. Starting off as a female scientist called "Dr. Barbara Morse," Bobbi was later revealed as Agent 19 of S.H.I.E.L.D. before she briefly took on the superhero identity called "The Huntress."
Looking into corruption at S.H.I.E.L.D., Bobbi adopted the new identity and costume of Mockingbird after being hunted by the organization because of being mistaken for a criminal. Mockingbird later became romantically involved with the Avenger known as Hawkeye and after the two married, they formed a west coast branch of the Avengers in Los Angeles. The two later divorced, with Mockingbird going off to become part of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Secret Avengers roster.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC on Tuesday, September 23rd.