It’s a footnote in the career of Jenna Ortega that she made her film debut in Iron Man 3 with a very brief cameo role that didn’t include any lines. And while most performers on Ortega’s level would happily dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she’s content for that to be her one and only MCU role.
“It was one of the first jobs I ever did,” Ortega told Entertainment Tonight. “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.”
Ortega briefly plays the daughter of Vice President Rodriguez (Miguel Ferrer), and her silent cameo visually confirms that she has only one leg, which implied that her father sided with the film’s villain to help her regain full mobility with the Extremis technology.
Ortega filmed lines for the movie, which were left on the cutting room floor. Her character isn’t even listed by name in the film’s credits, which is something Ortega hasn’t forgotten.
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“They even took my name away,” said Ortega. “I count that [as my MCU appearance], and then I move on.”
Ironically, during Ortega’s 2023 appearance on Saturday Night Live, she appeared in an X-Men parody skit dressed as Rogue.
It’s possible that Ortega could eventually change her mind about playing a superhero role in the MCU. But for now, she’s got a full schedule including Netflix’s Wednesday and her upcoming film, Death of a Unicorn, which pairs her with the MCU’s Paul Rudd as her on-screen father. She is also currently in talks to star in and produce a remake of Single White Female.