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

Do you remember seeing Jenna Ortega in Iron Man 3? You'd be forgiven for forgetting her brief appearance, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 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 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 sees Miguel Ferrer's Vice President Rodriguez, who's just had a stark conversation with Iron Man over the phone, kiss his daughter on the forehead during a Christmas family function. The camera then pans down to reveal that the daughter, played by Ortega, is wheelchair-bound due to a lost limb.

“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 famously plays Ant-Man in the MCU, similarly jested about Marvel's penchant for laying character breadcrumbs that could lead to something more substantial.

“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, 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.” Ah well.

In reality, Ortega was cast as a child actor in a role that was likely intended as a subplot but ended up being significantly reduced by the time Iron Man 3 reached theaters. It just so happened that this particular child actor grew up to become one of the most famous actors on the planet over a decade later. If Marvel Studios had a new MCU role in mind for Ortega, she'd certainly consider it.

The MCU was in a very different place back then, and superhero movies now face a much tougher challenge in drawing large audiences. Perhaps if Ortega were to return to the current MCU, she could help Marvel boost their box office numbers.

But which character would she be a perfect fit for?