Jenna Ortega can’t seem to slow down. After captivating audiences with her sharp wit on Wednesday, terrifying horror fans in the Scream franchise, and stepping into Tim Burton’s gothic playground again with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), she’s become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. With that kind of momentum, fans ask what world Ortega could conquer next? The answer might surprise you—it’s Marvel.
Ortega already has an official link to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And now, that small detail could mean something bigger for her future.
A Career Built From the Ground Up
Ortega’s journey began when she was a child. She took on roles in television and film long before her name became a headline. Slowly, she built a résumé that highlighted her range.
By her late teens, she had transformed into horror’s rising star, thanks to Scream (2022), Scream VI (2023), and the A24 thriller X (2022). Then came Wednesday, which exploded on Netflix and made her a global icon almost overnight. Pair that with Burton’s upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesday season 2, and Ortega has firmly locked herself in as a household name.
A Forgotten MCU Appearance
Long before this fame, Ortega made her way into Marvel at just 11 years old. She appeared briefly in Iron Man 3 (2013), playing the daughter of Vice President Rodriguez. The short holiday party scene revealed her character in a wheelchair, but all of Ortega’s lines were cut before the movie reached theaters.
Laughing about the role in a recent interview, Ortega admitted: “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.” She later joked, “They even took my name away… I count that, and then I move on.”
Paul Rudd Stirs the Pot
While promoting Death of a Unicorn (2025), Ortega sat alongside co-star Paul Rudd, best known to Marvel fans as Ant-Man. Rudd teased that Marvel might revisit her MCU ties: “It might very well be that you come back. They should be so lucky to have Jenna Ortega in their franchise.”
The playful exchange has fueled speculation. Now that Ortega is a major player, why wouldn’t Marvel consider giving her a bigger part?
Iron Man 3’s Legacy
The irony of Ortega’s MCU past is that Iron Man 3 itself divided fans. Critics often call it one of the weaker entries in the franchise, even though it raked in $1.2 billion globally. Ortega was part of that box office juggernaut but had no chance to use it as a launchpad.
Redemption and Beyond
Luckily, Ortega has more than made up for Marvel’s missed opportunity. Wednesday shattered records, Scream solidified her as a horror favorite, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is keeping her firmly in the spotlight.
So the question remains: could Marvel come calling again? She already has an official MCU credit, but Marvel has often recast actors in fresh roles. If they wanted to, Ortega could easily step back into the franchise—not as a forgotten child actor but as one of its brightest stars.
