Cobie Smulders trades in Maria Hill's SHIELD uniform for one from the U.S. Army in her new movie, "Jack Reacher: Never Look Back." She plays the equal parts honor bound and badass Maj. Susan Turner, who joins Reacher in a two-hander "solve the mystery/catch the bad guys" plot that involves a lot of punching and chases.
The only thing Cruise does better than driving is making sure his co-stars feel comfortable working together. According to Smulders, that started the first day she ever met the Oscar-nominated star.
While shooting an intense beat involving Turner and Reacher preparing for what they think is going to be a brawl, Turner runs up a flight of stairs and, nonchalantly, tears off a post from the banister with the intent to use it as a club. Because obviously.
"That particular moment, I think Ed came up with that," she recalled. Smulders added that the filmmakers gave her "a lot of freedom" to make sure her character wasn't just a sidekick or window dressing, hence the generous amounts of kick-punching for Turner. Smulders' favorite fight sequence?
Judging by the final product, she succeeded.
"Never Go Back" opens in theaters Friday.
