Jenna Ortega on Her Small MCU Role in Iron Man 3: 'All My Lines Were Cut'

Do you remember seeing Jenna Ortega in Iron Man 3? You might be forgiven for forgetting her blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene where a very young Ortega appears in a wheelchair.

The 22-year-old star of Netflix's Wednesday series and the upcoming 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 appearance features Miguel Ferrer's Vice President Rodriguez, who has just had a stark conversation with Iron Man over the phone, kissing his daughter on the forehead during a Christmas family function. The camera then pans down to reveal that the daughter is wheelchair-bound due to a lost limb.

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

Now, 12 years after Iron Man 3 was released, Ortega was asked by Entertainment Weekly about getting into the MCU. She jokingly reflected on her appearance in Iron Man 3 and how Marvel Studios had significantly cut it down.

"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 joked about Marvel's penchant for laying character breadcrumbs that could lead to something bigger and better.

"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 truth, Ortega was cast as a child actor in a role that was probably intended to be more of a subplot but ended up being almost non-existent in the final cut of Iron Man 3. 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 would certainly consider it.

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

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

The MCU was in a very different place back then, and today's superhero movies have a much tougher time bringing in the big bucks. If Ortega were to join the current MCU, she might help Marvel with that challenge.

But which character would she be a perfect fit for?