Morean Baccarin [V, Firefly] is among the actors shortlisted to play Nick Fury’s ‘sidekick’ – the word used by Samuel L. Jackson to describe the character on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Others on the list include: Jessica Lucas [Cloverfield], Cobie Smulders [How I Met your Mother] and Mary Elizabeth Winstead [Scott Pilgrim vs. The World].

Initial speculation was that the character for which they are testing was The Wasp/Janet Van Dyne, but with Jackson’s revelation it seems more likely that the character could be Contessa Valentina De Fontaine, fury’s long-time confident and fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. operative.

Whatever the case, given that Baccarin has worked with Avengers’ director Joss Whedon before, she might have an edge in the casting process.