The Avengers

The Mentalist starlet will make her Marvel Studios’ debut as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The First Avenger, which hits theaters this Thursday.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, Marvel’s The Avengers brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

After yesterday’s confirmation of the first Avengers movie trailer set to hit theaters this weekend with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger, another piece of news has been revealed. Amanda Righetti , whose breakout role was as an investigator on the hits television series The Mentalist, will join the ranks of Sam Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders as a Agent of the clandestine organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Though neither Paramount Pictures nor Marvel Studios has released the name of the comic character she will embody on film, the current buzz has her pegged as either Carol Danvers — also known to comic fans as the superpowered heroine Ms. Marvel — or Sharon Carter, niece of Peggy Carter who is played by Hayley Atwell in Captain America and acts as Steve Rogers’ WWII partner and love interest.

Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as Thor, Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are Alright) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (Iron Man 2) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (Iron Man, Thor) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) as Nick Fury. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston (Wallander) and Stellan Skarsgård (Angels & Demons, Mamma Mia!) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature Thor. The Avengers is scheduled for theatrical release in the US on May 4th, 2012.