Word on the street is that Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Scream) is now rumored to be in contention for a major Marvel role.
via: Movie Web
Jenna Ortega just might be up for a significant role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daniel Richtman reports. Right now, this is just a rumor; no official announcements from either Ortega or Marvel have been made. If a meeting between Ortega and Marvel has occurred, it could be just that — the very early talks of a potential collaboration, which could easily fall through at any moment.
Still, there could be room in Ortega's schedule for a prominent role in the MCU. Most of her upcoming projects, including the dark comedy Death of a Unicorn, the second season of Netflix's wildly popular Wednesday, and The Weeknd collaboration Hurry Up Tomorrow, have already been filmed and are simply awaiting release. No other news of new projects for Ortega has been announced of late, so if she were indeed entering into another major franchise, now would be the time.
Ortega is certainly in a position to play a superhero, as her career has skyrocketed over the last few years. In addition to Wednesday, in which Ortega took on an iconic and beloved role (and, many feel, crushed it), she appeared in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, 2018's Scream and its follow-up Scream VI, and the first in the X trilogy, among other titles. With numerous other projects on the horizon, Ortega has proven herself to be a highly sought-after performer.
As far as what character Jenna Ortega could potentially play in the MCU, the doors are wide open, though there's been talk online that she would make a great Angela Del Toro/White Tiger. Ben Gibbons of Screen Rant made the case that Ortega would be perfect for the role, given her ability to play brooding but determined characters. He further points out that Del Toro's origin story may already be set up in the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again.
But would Ortega want to play a secondary character in an established hero's universe? Comments she made in September 2024 — that women should have their own franchises, and that she dislikes it when women only get spinoffs — might indicate no.
Then again, the shared universe is one of Marvel's highlights, and a single character's story still has ramifications for larger storylines in the franchise, which usually come to head in an Avengers film (or two or three). Introducing a character in one film or series, only to have them go solo in their own projects, is par for the course at Marvel.
Even eagle-eyed Ortega superfans might not realize the actress has already appeared in an MCU film, making a roughly 30-second appearance in 2013's Iron Man 3 as the vice president's daughter. Somewhat like Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise that made him a superstar as a different character, Ortega could potentially pull off the same feat (though, of course, her blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in Iron Man 3 didn't make her a household name).
Ortega will next be seen onscreen in the aforementioned Death of a Unicorn, which co-stars Paul Rudd and which will hit theaters on Mar. 28, 2025, via A24.
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