Jenna Ortega Jokes About Tiny MCU Role in Iron Man 3: 'They Took All My Lines Out'

Did you catch Jenna Ortega in Iron Man 3? It's easy to miss; she had a fleeting appearance as a young girl in a wheelchair. The 22-year-old star of Netflix's Wednesday and the upcoming Beetlejuice 2 made her film debut at age 11 in the 2013 film. Ortega's brief Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) cameo shows Miguel Ferrer's Vice President Rodriguez kissing his daughter on the forehead during a Christmas scene. The camera then pans down to reveal the daughter, played by Ortega, is wheelchair-bound due to a missing limb.

Twelve years later, Ortega jokingly reflected on her MCU experience with Entertainment Weekly, mentioning how much of her role was cut. "I did it once," she 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 (Ant-Man), playfully suggested Marvel might create a role for her, adding, "’cause they should be so lucky to have Jenna Ortega in their franchise."

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Ortega, casting doubt on a future MCU role, added, "They even took my name away… but I just… I count that, and then I move on." Her role, initially perhaps a larger subplot, was significantly reduced in the final cut of Iron Man 3. However, the child actor who played that small part has become one of the biggest stars in the world.

While considered one of the weaker MCU films, Iron Man 3 was a box office success, grossing over $1.2 billion globally—making it the ninth highest-grossing superhero film ever. The MCU landscape has shifted significantly since then; superhero films now face greater challenges in achieving similar box office triumphs. A return for Ortega could potentially boost Marvel's current projects.

But which character would be the perfect fit for her?