Jenna Ortega has gained steam working on standalone projects and joining established franchises like Scream. With the actress' star rising fast, some have questioned what role she would play if she were to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
While Ortega has already played the Vice President's Daughter in Iron Man 3 (2013), it's not unheard of for an actor to play a minor role in a franchise before returning in a completely new role. Here, we will go over different characters that could appear in the MCU, providing brief descriptions and analyzing why Ortega would make a good fit for the role.
10 Synapse
While the Inhumans series may have been a critical and commercial failure, there is still excitement around the prospect of new Inhuman characters making themselves known. After being altered by the Terrigen Mists, Emily Guerrero would gain the ability to alter someone's brainwaves, causing them to faint or suffer vertigo, among other effects.
Synapse's introduction to the world came with her joining the Avengers Unity Squad. Ortega would surely provide the star power that would help launch this unique character to the forefront, should she be needed when the world needs a new set of Avengers to unite with mutants and inhumans alike.
9 Mercy
A more sadistic role for Ortega would be Abigail Wright, also known as the angel of Mercy. With the sadistic belief that she should kill those who fail to take their own lives, Mercy would use her number of enhanced powers to kill those she deems weak.
Mercy has a history of working with the Thunderbolts, so inclusion in a sequel to the upcoming film would be possible for the young star. Ortega has shown a knack for taking on dark characters, with her roles in Wednesday and The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020).
8 Spider-Girl
There have been many iterations of Spider-Girl throughout the multiverse, and with the multiverse now expanding into the MCU, it would be intriguing to see Jenna Ortega take on one of the versions of this character. Ortega has previously stated that when she looks at her future projects, she gravitates toward roles that she can identify with.
Thus, the Spider-Girl that may appeal to her is Ana Corazon. Previously taking the codename Arana, Ana was gifted the powers of the Spider Society's Sorcerer, becoming an initiate in the secret organization. Honing her abilities over the years, Spider-Girl would work alongside the Avengers and the Order of the Web to help protect the world.
7 Karma
Looking into the world of the X-Men, we look to Xuan Cao Manh, a Vietnamese woman who, due to her mutant genetics, gained the ability to possess people psychically. After impressing Reed Richards, Xuan would be recommended for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, where she would lead the New Mutants under the codename Karma.
After the success of The New Mutants (2020), audiences have been clamoring for a follow-up to the young mutants adventuring on their own. Perhaps during their next adventure, they meet more wayward young mutants, such as Jenna Ortega, taking on the role of Karma.
6 Jocasta
Another villainous role that Ortega could fill would be that of Ultron's wife, Jocasta. This sentient AI would go on a rampage alongside Ultron and fight the Avengers at seemingly every turn. While in the source material, she is modeled after the brain patterns of the Wasp, for the MCU, Jocasta could potentially be modeled on the brainwaves of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), seeing as Ultron (James Spader) is modeled after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo).
Jenna Ortega has quickly caught intrigue for her ability to keep a deadpan expression yet still emote in a way that translates what her characters are feeling, a trait that has earned her comparisons to Aubrey Plaza. She would be able to craft a character that matches the near monotonous, expressive tones of James Spader's Ultron.
5 Firebird
One day, Bonita Juarez was struck by flames that had given her incredible powers. Believing these were gifted to her by God, Bonita would take the name of Firebird and work with teams like The Rangers and the West Coast Avengers to combat evil.
Ortega has practiced respect when it comes to studying different aspects of characters. The natural fire in Ortega's personality will shine through, and Ortega would work to portray the culture behind the character respectfully.
4 X-23
While Dafne Keene played X-23 remarkably in Logan (2017), it's been known that the character will be merged into the mainstream timeline in the source material. If this were to happen, the MCU may look into aging X-23 a bit more, and Jenna Ortega would be a natural fit for the role.
Following Wolverine's footsteps, X-23 is the next step in the Weapon X program that gifted Logan his adamantium claws. With mutants slowly becoming more involved in the events of the MCU, seeing the ferocity Ortega would bring to the role would be worth the price of admission.
3 White Tiger
Speaking of following in the footsteps of those that came before, Ava Ayala is the fifth person to take on the mantle of the White Tiger. Inheriting the White Tiger amulet from her niece, Ava would have increased her agility and strength, but would learn martial arts from Tigra to defend herself competently.
This would be another role that Ortega may find herself attracted to, with the White Tiger lineage being one of a strong Puerto Rican heritage. Ortega has already shown her tenaciousness with the many roles in her filmography. If she added martial arts training to her resume, this would be an excellent fit for the young star.
2 Black Cat
With Peter Parker (Tom Holland) seemingly giving up on his romance with MJ (Zendaya) and his friendship with Ned (Jacob Batalon), Spider-Man is going to be leading a very lonely life. That is where Felicia Hardy comes in. Another romantic interest from the comics, Hardy would be known as the burglar Black Cat, and one who would constantly seductively challenge Spider-Man.
Ortega has proven more than capable of tackling an essential role with high physicality, and has had no issues portraying a high level of confidence in working circles around her male counterparts. While the hair would be a jarring change to Ortega's aesthetic, the striking look of Black Cat would work well with the starlet.
1 Rogue
One of the most in-demand roles for Jenna Ortega from the fan's perspective is the southern powerhouse known as Rogue. Rogue is a mutant who can copy the powers of anyone she touches. Prolonged physical contact can lead to serious harm, so Rogue constantly isolates herself by wearing gloves.
Witnessing Ortega take on the traits of Rogue, from the southern sass to the gritty determination, would make for an excellent character in any live-action X-Men project coming in the future. Seeing how Ortega fits into an ensemble epic like the X-Men would also be intriguing.