Jenna Ortega on Her Minimal MCU Role: 'They Cut All My Lines'

Do you remember seeing Jenna Ortega in Iron Man 3? You’d be forgiven for missing the brief moment where a very young Ortega appears in a wheelchair.

The 22-year-old star of Netflix’s Wednesday series and the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie actually made her film debut at the age of 11 in a minor role in 2013’s Iron Man 3. Ortega’s brief Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) appearance features Miguel Ferrer’s Vice President Rodriguez, who, after a stark conversation with Iron Man over the phone, kisses his daughter on the forehead during a Christmas family function. The camera then pans down to reveal that the daughter, played by Ortega, is in a wheelchair due to a lost limb.

Now, 12 years after Iron Man 3 hit the screens, Ortega was asked by Entertainment Weekly about her experience in the MCU. She humorously reflected on her appearance, noting how Marvel Studios significantly trimmed her role.

“I did it once,” Ortega said. “It was one of the first jobs I ever did. They took all my lines out. I’m in Iron Man 3 for a quick second. I take up the frame, I have one leg and I’m the vice president’s daughter.”

Her Death of a Unicorn co-star Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man in the MCU, also chimed in with a light-hearted comment about Marvel's practice of laying character breadcrumbs for future developments.

“And so it might very well be that you come back,” Rudd continued, “that they are going to create something for you, ’cause they should be so lucky to have Jenna Ortega in their franchise.”

Casting doubt on the possibility of a return, Ortega concluded her reflection on Iron Man 3: “They even took my name away,” she interjected. “I’m really… but I just… I count that, and then I move on.”

In reality, Ortega was cast as a child actor in a role that might have been intended as a subplot but was reduced to nearly nothing in the final cut of Iron Man 3. This particular child actor has since grown into one of the most renowned actors globally, over a decade later. If Marvel Studios had a new MCU role in mind for Ortega, she would certainly consider it.

While Iron Man 3 is often considered one of the weaker entries in the MCU, it was a massive success at the box office, grossing over $1.2 billion globally. It ranks as the ninth highest-grossing superhero film of all time, surpassing movies like Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Captain Marvel.

The MCU landscape has changed significantly since then, and superhero movies now face tougher competition at the box office. If Ortega were to return to the MCU, her star power could potentially boost Marvel's fortunes.

But which character would she be a perfect fit for?