The search for Lois Lane is not the only casting contest that is capturing the attention of Hollywood actresses, the prized role of Nick Fury’s assistant in the upcoming superhero ensemble film The Avengers directed by Joss Whedon is attracting some of Tinseltown’s top female talent.  At stake is a deal with nine-picture option, and according to Heat Vision, the short list includes V star Morena Baccarin as well as Jessica Lucas, Cobie Smulders, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Heat Vision thinks that the striking Baccarin could have an edge because she has worked with Whedon before in both the Firefly TV series and the subsequent Serenity movie.

Smulders, who plays Robin on the long-running CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, has a fresh faced look and is capable of presenting a very professional demeanor.

Winstead, who is perhaps best known for her performance as Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, is also starring in Universal’s remake of The Thing.

Lucas, from the short-lived Melrose Place (2009-10) remake, appears in the NBC sitcom Friends With Benefits, which is in production and likely to become a mid-season replacement.