In 'Super Team Canada,' Marvel star Cobie Smulders plays 'hydro-powered' superhero named Niagara Falls

Alex Nino Gheciu · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 14, 2025 11:56 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

When Cobie Smulders began moving connected "Super Team Canada" 2 years ago, she didn't expect the goofy cartoon to align truthful perfectly with the existent governmental landscape.

Billed arsenic Crave's archetypal big animated series, the half-hour drama follows six overlooked Canadian superheroes who are called into enactment aft the world's apical heroes are taken out. In the premiere, the U.S. president and different planetary leaders laughter astatine the Canadian premier minister's assertion that his state has caped crusaders of its own.

The crippled present plays similar a cheeky metaphor for Canada pushing backmost against U.S. economical attacks and "51st state" jabs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

"It is comic timing," Vancouver-born Smulders says portion successful Toronto past week.

"For me, I've ever had a precise beardown consciousness of Canadian pridefulness successful my life. I unrecorded successful the United States close now, but my bosom is inactive successful Vancouver," adds the L.A.-based actor.

"(The show) is benignant of similar this emotion missive to Canadiana and our civilization and poking amusive astatine our culture. It's truly conscionable determination to entertain and to marque radical laugh, which I deliberation we could each usage close now."

The bid is stacked with Canadian talent, including Calgary screenwriters Joel H. Cohen of "The Simpsons" and Robert Cohen of "The Ben Stiller Show," with Toronto movie and TV prima Will Arnett starring and producing.

Smulders plays S.H.I.E.L.D cause Maria Hill successful Marvel Cinematic Universe

Smulders voices a hydro-powered superhero called Niagara Falls. She cracks that it's a caller acquisition for her, alluding to her decade-long stint arsenic the mortal S.H.I.E.L.D cause Maria Hill successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I'm yet a superhero with superpowers, which is exciting," says Smulders, whose Marvel quality mostly works down the scenes to co-ordinate the Avengers' missions.

Arnett plays puck-slinging ex-hockey subordinate Breakaway, comedian Charles Demers is Quebecois crimefighter Poutine and Kids successful the Hall subordinate Kevin McDonald is the Prime Minister of Canada.

Together, they instrumentality connected assorted foes, including elephantine evil robots, "geriatric aliens and a trash pile," says Smulders, who changeable to stardom successful the mid-aughts arsenic Robin Scherbatsky successful the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

The histrion says it's "wonderful" to spot Canadians feeling much patriotic amid tense relations with the United States.

"Our state has truthful overmuch to connection and I'm grateful that I grew up here. It has shaped and moulded maine arsenic a person, truthful I person lone ever felt pridefulness for my country," she says.

"I conjecture the bully happening that's coming retired of this clip is that different radical are too. They're feeling that adjacent much now."

Smulders says her nationalist pridefulness is wherefore she gravitates towards Canadian projects, including Nova Scotia manager Jason Buxton's thriller "Sharp Corner," presently successful theatres. She stars arsenic a therapist whose beingness unravels arsenic her husband, played by Ben Foster, becomes obsessed with the predominant car accidents astatine a choky crook adjacent their home.

Smulders wants to spot "more contented that is conscionable for Canadians."

"You'd inactive bask watching (`Super Team Canada') if you didn't turn up successful Canada, but I deliberation if you grew up successful Canada, you would truly emotion it," she says.

Smulders "almost fell over" erstwhile she work the publication for an occurrence inspired by the classical Canadian publication bid "Anne of Green Gables," noting she grew up watching the CBC miniseries.

"At immoderate point, I would emotion to play Marilla Cuthbert," she says, referring to Anne's stern but loving guardian.

Smulders lost her L.A. home successful the January wildfires

Screen accumulation has abruptly go politicized with Trump vowing past week to slap a "100 per cent tariff" connected each films produced extracurricular of the U.S. But Smulders sidestepped the issue.

"I don't deliberation I'm going to spell down a tariff speech due to the fact that honestly, it changes each day," says Smulders.

"I don't cognize what's real. I don't cognize what's going to hap but I conscionable anticipation that we tin support making contented that's bully and comic and makes radical laughter and consciousness things."

As overmuch arsenic Smulders is arrogant of her Canadian roots, she's besides recovered a beardown assemblage successful Los Angeles, wherever she says neighbours rallied aft wildfires devastated the country successful January. She says her location was among those destroyed.

"It was beauteous rough," she says, "but I person seen the metropolis travel unneurotic successful a truly beauteous way."

Smulders has been doing her part, partnering with foundation Save the Children to enactment families affected by the fires and volunteering play astatine a crockery room successful Venice.

She credits her Canadian upbringing for an inclination to assistance others.

"I deliberation the mode our state is acceptable up, determination is ever an vigor of giving back, of taking attraction of the planet, of looking extracurricular yourself," she says.

"That astir apt rubbed disconnected successful a bully mode connected me."

"Super Team Canada" premieres Friday connected Crave.