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

Did you catch Jenna Ortega's fleeting cameo in Iron Man 3? It's understandable if it slipped your mind; she appeared in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene where she played the vice president's daughter, sitting in a wheelchair during a family Christmas gathering. This was the 22-year-old star's film debut at the tender age of 11, marking her entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Jenna Ortega in Iron Man 3. Image credit: Marvel Studios.

Now, over a decade later, Ortega, who has since become a household name thanks to her role in Netflix's Wednesday and the upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, reflected on her brief MCU stint in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. She humorously noted how her role was significantly trimmed down.

"I did it once," Ortega remarked. "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, known for portraying Ant-Man, playfully suggested that Marvel might have bigger plans for Ortega in the future. "And so it might very well be that you come back," Rudd said, "that they are going to create something for you, ’cause they should be so lucky to have Jenna Ortega in their franchise."

Ortega, however, cast doubt on a potential return, humorously pointing out how even her character's name was removed from the film. "They even took my name away," she said. "I’m really… but I just… I count that, and then I move on."

Originally, Ortega's role might have been intended as a more significant subplot, but it was reduced to almost nothing in the final cut of Iron Man 3. Despite this, her brief appearance has become a curious footnote in her career, especially as she has risen to global fame.

If Jenna Ortega did return to the MCU, which character should she play? Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images.

Although Iron Man 3 is often ranked among the less favored MCU films, it was a massive commercial success, grossing $1.2 billion worldwide and ranking as the ninth highest-grossing superhero movie ever, surpassing films like Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Captain Marvel.

In the current landscape, where superhero films face tougher competition at the box office, Ortega's involvement could potentially boost the MCU's appeal. The question remains: which character would she be an ideal fit for?