Agents of SHIELD Season 3: Adrianne Palicki Talks Female Superheroes

While at the Television Critics Association press tour, I was fortunate enough to get a few minutes to talk with Adrianne Palicki about Mockingbird and Agents of SHIELD season 3. 

The season finale was drastic for many, including Bobbi Morse (Palicki) taking a bullet for Hunter (Nick Blood). Palicki spoke about the extent of Bobbi’s injuries and what the discovery of Inhumans will mean for her. We also chatted about the upcoming crop of female superheroes like Supergirl, Jessica Jones, and the big screen debut of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

What exciting stuff is coming up for Mockingbird in season three?

A lot. A lot has changed. Everybody’s reeling from the season finale. Coulson’s dealing with the loss of his arm, Bobbi’s dealing the loss of her physical ability. Also she and Hunter are still dealing with their relationship. Daisy’s now searching for these secret warriors and putting the team together. Simmons is still AWOL so Fitz is on a mission to find her so there’s a lot up in the air.

It’s going to get real crazy.

With the addition of Inhumans, are you excited for the potential for super powers on SHIELD?

Absolutely, and there’s already a little bit starting out in the beginning of the season so I’m excited to see where it goes.

How do you think Bobbi will deal with super powered opponents?

I think it’s going to be challenging for her. She’s going to have new challenges. She’s dealing with not having the use of her knee. She’s missing part of a lung. There’s going to be a lot of stuff she’s having to deal with.

Can you relate to that as a physical actor? You must’ve had to work through injuries before. Can you apply that to Bobbi?

Oh, many. Many, but I was still up to do any stunt. In the moment, it feels like the worst thing ever and then a year from that, you’re like, “Oh, I forgot that ever happened. I’m fine,” because I’m walking and it’s great.

How does the action in SHIELD compare to big action movies you’ve done?

They’re all different and they all teach me a lot of different things. Learning the batons has been really fun for me. It’s very different than doing John Wick or G.I. Joe. They’re just very different talents so it’s really fun to learn new ones.

When you first got the part of Mockingbird, were there always plans to be a series regular?

We did. There was talk about it. We were going to see how everybody felt about the trajectory in the show and it’s been really positive.

Outside of Agents of SHIELD how pleased are you to see so many female superheroes on the air?

I mean, all of these women, especially on Agents of SHIELD, not only just Mockingbird but all the females on SHIELD they’re the ones who kick ass. All these women are kicking ass and I feel like it’s becoming more and more prevalent and men want to see that, not only women.

So it’s a really cool thing to be a part of that huge shift, that women are powerful and strong because it’s so sexy and it’s great for young girls everywhere.

That’s not new, is it? Men have always watched Aliens, Terminator, Kill Bill…

We did but it wasn’t as prevalent before. It was like, “Oh my God, did you see that movie where that girl kicked ass?” Now it’s like, “Oh my God, girls kicking ass on every TV show and almost every movie.” It’s this new world, especially in the comic book world.

Do you ever worry that it could be a typecast for you?

I try to just pick things that challenge me, so when I’m not doing something action, I’m doing a comedy or I’m doing romantic comedy, just doing different things. But I love it.

You got to play Wonder Woman once. Did you happen to run into Gal Gadot at Comic-Con?

No, I didn’t but I’m so happy for her. She’s beautiful and wonderful and that is amazing all of this happened because Wonder Woman deserves to be seen.

Did you read comic books before you got the Mockingbird job?

I did. My brother’s a comic book writer so I grew up with comic books and I’m obsessed. I have a Supergirl tattoo.

Have we seen that tattoo?

No, you haven’t seen it. That one’s hidden.

So were you very familiar with the SHIELD world from reading comic books?

I was a little bit familiar with Mockingbird. I really kind of knew about her through Hawkeye and that world. I had to do a little bit of research on my own because I hadn’t really delved into that character before. So it was fun for me to research and go back and read his comics and try to get a feel for the character.

Agents of SHIELD season 3 premieres on September 29th at 9 pm.