Did you know Jenna Ortega had a small role in Iron Man 3? It’s an easy scene to miss. A very young Ortega appears briefly in a wheelchair, early in her career.
The 22-year-old star of Netflix’s Wednesday series and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actually made her film debut at age 11. Her part in Iron Man 3 sees her playing the daughter of Miguel Ferrer’s Vice President Rodriguez. After a tense phone call with Iron Man, Rodriguez gives his daughter a kiss on the forehead during a Christmas gathering. The camera then pans down to show his daughter in a wheelchair, having lost a limb.
It’s now been 12 years since Iron Man 3 was released. Ortega recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about joining the MCU and joked about how little her role ended up being after Marvel edited the film.
“I did it once,” she said. “It was one of my earliest jobs. They cut all my lines. I’m in Iron Man 3 for just a moment — I fill the frame, I’ve got one leg, and I’m the vice president’s daughter.”
Her Death of a Unicorn co-star Paul Rudd — famous for playing Ant-Man in the MCU — also joked about Marvel’s tendency to seed characters early for bigger future roles.
“It’s quite possible you could come back,” Rudd added. “They might create something new for you. Marvel would be lucky to have Jenna Ortega in their franchise.”
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Ortega wasn’t so sure about returning, reflecting on her Iron Man 3 experience: “They even took my name away,” she said. “I mean… I consider it part of my career, but I’ve moved on.”
In reality, Ortega was a child actor in a part that might have been slightly bigger in earlier cuts — but by the final film, it was barely there. What’s interesting is how that child actor later became one of the most recognized stars in the world. If Marvel ever offered her a new MCU role today, I’m sure she’d at least consider it.
While Iron Man 3 isn’t often ranked among the strongest MCU films, it was a massive box office success, earning $1.2 billion worldwide. In fact, it’s the ninth highest-grossing superhero movie ever, surpassing hits like Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Captain Marvel.
The MCU was in a different place back then. Superhero films today face more challenges drawing big audiences. If Ortega ever rejoined the current MCU, she could help boost Marvel’s fortunes.
But which character would she be perfect for?
