Jenna Ortega may never be able to star in Marvel movie due to little known role

The Wednesday actor may not get a Kevin Feige call anytime soon

Jenna Ortega may miss out on securing a role in a Marvel blockbuster in the future due to a prior commitment made over a decade ago.

Former Disney actress Ortega, 21, has gone from strength to strength after gaining worldwide recognition for her role in Netflix’s Wednesday in 2022.

Since portraying the titular character, the star landed a role as the devious Cairo Sweet in Miller’s Girl, Astrid Deetz in the recently released Beetlejuice sequel and is set to appear in Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun adaptation.

Jenna Ortega responds to viral moment with Winona Ryder

But before all that, Ortega gained her first foot in the entertainment industry by appearing on the CBS sitcom Rob in 2012.

In the same year, she premiered as Aimee Moore in an episode of CSI: NY before playing a small part in the American soap opera, Days of Our Lives in 2013.

Also in 2013, the California-born actress portrayed the daughter of U.S. Vice President Rodriguez (played by Miguel Ferrer) in Iron Man 3.

The seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sees Ortega’s character missing a right leg, which becomes the catalyst for Rodriguez consorting with supervillain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce).

Killian claims his Extremis drug could help cure the Vice President’s daughter’s leg but when Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) gets involved, Ortega’s character’s fate is left hanging in the balance.

Jenna Ortega made her film debut in Iron Man 3 (Disney)

Despite simultaneously making her feature-film debut and entering the MCU for the first time 11 years ago, Ortega’s character has not been brought back.

And it turns out it could be the last we see of her in a Marvel movie too, according to Mia Khalifa.

She once took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote: “Life is unfair, and I stand by that because Jenna Ortega had a cameo in a Marvel movie years ago which means we’ll never be able to see her as a lead in a Marvel movie.”

Fans of the MCU will know that most actors have been confined to portraying a singular character.

This is because casting them in two major roles can be pretty confusing for fans and could lead to filming complications further down the line.

But while it’s unlikely that Ortega will be re-cast as a comic book character it isn’t impossible.

Over the years, there have been some major stars who initially claimed a cameo role before later securing a top-billed part.

The actress may not return to the MCU due to her previous portrayal (Disney)

One of which is actress Gemma Chan. She first appeared in 2019’s Captain Marvel as Minn-Erva before portraying Sersi in Eternals two years later.

Kenneth Choi made his MCU debut in Captain America: The First Avenger as Private Jim Morita before later portraying Principal Morita in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.

A third is Linda Cardellini who has starred as Clint Barton’s (Jeremy Renner) wife Laura Barton.

She debuted as the former SHIELD Agent in Avengers: Age of Ultron but has also gone on to voice Lylla the Otter in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

So never say never, right Ortega?

Featured Image Credit: Kate Green/Getty Images/Marvel Studios/Disney

Topics: Celebrity, Iron Man, Jenna Ortega, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Film and TV, Entertainment

Ella Scott

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Updated 17:08 29 Apr 2024 GMT+1Published 17:00 29 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Martin Freeman addresses controversial x-rated scene with Jenna Ortega after backlash for age-gap movie

Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega star in Miller’s Girl but the film got backlash for their age-gap

Niamh Shackleton

Martin Freeman has spoken out on his recent movie, Miller’s Girl, addressing the controversial age gap which riled some fans.

The film ruffled feathers when its first trailer dropped at the back end of last year, with fans seeing a very different side to Wednesday star, Jenna Ortega, 21.

In the movie – which landed on Netflix last week – Ortega stars as 18-year-old student Cairo Sweet, with The Hobbit favorite Martin Freeman starring at her college teacher, Jonathan Miller.

Miller’s Girl trailer
Credit: Lionsgate

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It’s short and simple synopsis reads: “A creative writing assignment yields complex results between a teacher and his talented student.”

As you can imagine, the R-rated movie is pretty steamy – something which caused a bit of a stir in light of there being a 31-year age gap between Ortega and Freeman, 52.

While only 21, Ortega has been in a series of movies and TV shows already, so she’s no stranger to how the film industry works – something which was backed up by the intimacy coordinator on set of Miller’s Girl.

In fact, Kristina Arjona said that Ortega was ‘very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do’ in the film’s sex scenes.

Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman star in Miller’s Girl. (Lionsgate)

In the wake of the movie not going down too well with critics, with some of the negativity coming down to them feeling uncomfortable about Ortega and Freeman’s age gap, Freeman has now defended the film.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the 52-year-old described Miller’s Girl as ‘grown-up and nuanced’.

Noting his age gap with his co-star, Freeman went on: “It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’ Are we going to have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”

Martin Freeman has responded to the movie’s backlash. (Lionsgate)

At the time of writing, Miller’s Girl has just 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.

One reviewer labelled Ortega and Freeman as being ‘ill-matched’.

“The hot-for-teacher drama backfires as it gets icky rather quickly when the repartee turns farcical,” they wrote. “Good cast, and beautifully shot, but never able to rise above the ill-matched Freeman-Ortega combo.”

Other viewers have echoed similar sentiments.

“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Jenny Ortega, how dare you act such a scene. That’s it, You are grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded until the next season of Netflix Wednesday Series,” one frustrated fan wrote.

Another commented: “An erotic thriller starring Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega lol like what were people expecting.”

Good or bad, Miller’s Girl has sure got people talking.

Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate

Topics: Jenna Ortega, Film and TV, Celebrity

Niamh Shackleton

 

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Published 08:09 8 Feb 2024 GMT

Director says Jenna Ortega ‘scared the s***’ out of her filming R-rated Martin Freeman movie

“It’s a very subtle thing that I think is quite terrifying.”

Poppy Bilderbeck

The director of Jenna Ortega’s latest movie has spoken out about the Wednesday star’s approach to her character, saying she ‘scared the s**t’ out of her.

For some reason, various people have it in their heads that Ortega must be the same age as Wednesday Addams after seeing her in the Netflix hit – the girl can barely light a cigarette without ending up the talk of the town on X.

Sure, if you see her as around 16-years-old, then spotting her in an X-rated scene with Martin Freeman is definitely going to be a bit of a shock to the system, but it wasn’t actually the sex scene which caused director Jade Halley Bartlett to be ‘scared the s**t out of’.

Miller’s Girl trailer
Credit: Lionsgate

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People were quick to flock to social media after seeing Ortega’s sex scene with the Sherlock star in 2024 release Miller’s Girl.

In the movie, Ortega stars as an 18-year-old writer named Cairo and Freeman plays her teacher Jonathan, with their relationship ending up crossing the line of strictly professional.

Granted, with Ortega being 21-years-old and Freeman aged 52, there’s no denying there’s a hefty age gap between the pair – but at the end of the day, they’re actors.

Despite this, one social media user said: “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Jenny Ortega, how dare you act such a scene. That’s it, You are grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded until the next season of Netflix Wednesday Series.”

However, it wasn’t that particular scene but Ortega’s approach to her character as a whole which got under the skin of director Bartlett.

Lionsgate

Speaking in an interview with What To Watch, Bartlett said Ortega actually ‘scared the s**t out of’ her.

“She definitely went to a place with Cairo that… it’s even tricky to explain,” she says.

Trying to put a finger on it, Bartlett reflected how Ortega’s character ‘thinks she is such an adult, but she’s not,’ really ‘an isolated young woman’ who is ‘a ghost in her house’.

The director continued: “Her entire education about romance is from 18th and 19th-century literature and old movies, which are inherently problematic, right? But she thinks she is such a grownup.”

Bartlett praised Ortega as being ‘very disarming’ and ‘so special’, as well as ‘kind of gothic’ herself.

“Jenna, I mean she’s a savant. You watch her heart break in real-time and then you watch her calcify, you watch the scales grow over her and it’s a very subtle thing that I think is quite terrifying.

“[…] And there are some moments that Jenna has when she is looking at Jonathan or when she is talking to him when she is like I almost believe… She’s like a vampire, like a 900-year-old vampire.

Lionsgate

“There’s something very ancient that she does that really scares the s**t out of me, excuse my language.”

The director also revealed the scene that really surprised her, saying: “…the scene with Winnie when they are passing the bottle back and forth between them, where you watch her make a decision in that moment that really stunned me, because her physicality changes and then it’s different for the rest of the film.

“Which is insane because obviously, we shot out of order. So Jenna’s just, I don’t know, extraordinarily intelligent. Almost everything she did surprised me, I have to be honest.”

Miller’s Girl is currently in cinemas in the US and will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from 19 February 2024.

Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate

Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Jenna Ortega, US News

Poppy Bilderbeck

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Published 13:09 9 Feb 2024 GMT

Jenna Ortega was only 19 when she filmed x-rated scenes with 37-year-old Kid Cudi

Ortega went viral for her steamy scene with Martin Freeman, but she’s got experience working with older men

Emily Brown

Jenna Ortega has made headlines recently for her steamy scene with Martin Freeman, but the actor is experienced in tackling age differences thanks to her previous work with Kid Cudi.

The Wednesday star, 21, shocked viewers when the scene from her new movie Miller’s Girl began to do the rounds online.

Jenna Ortega stars alongside Kid Cudi in horror
Credit: Little Lamb/Mad Solar Productions

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The scene shows Ortega and Freeman, 52, embroiled in a steamy encounter as they portray characters from a story written by Ortega’s character, Cairo Sweet.

Seeing the actor who plays a teenager in Wednesday get so wrapped up with the man who brought to life Sherlock Holmes’ protégé left a lot of viewers feeling uncomfortable, but it’s not the first time Ortega has been involved in a scene with an age gap.

In 2022, Ortega starred alongside Cudi in the horror film X, which is set in 1979.

The movie tells the story of a group of young filmmakers who plan to make an adult film in rural Texas, only to find themselves fighting for their lives when they’re caught in red handed creating their saucy scenes.

In the film, a then-19-year-old Ortega had to strip off for a sex scene with Cudi, who was 37 at the time.

Little Lamb/Mad Solar Productions

The cast worked under the guidance of intimacy coordinator Tandi Wright, who was praised for helping them feel comfortable during the shoot.

In an interview with Indie Wire, Ortega said she was ‘really eager’ to do the film as it was something she had ‘never done before’.

However, she revealed that her sex scene ‘wasn’t initially in the script’.

She explained: “When I signed on, that wasn’t a part [of the film]. It was something that came later on.

“[It was] flipping the stereotype over and just taking somebody who you wouldn’t really see in that position suddenly in that position. I think it adds to the spontaneity of the decision and also just the spontaneity of the film.”

Ortega described Wright as ‘the sweetest, kindest intimacy coordinator in the world’.

Little Lamb/Mad Solar Productions

Two years on, Ortega again worked with an intimacy coordinator on Miller’s Girl, where Kristina Arjona was in charge of helping the actors feel safe and comfortable.

Arjona made clear there were ‘many, many people’ who made sure Ortega was happy while filming the more intimate scenes.

Speaking to the Mail Online, she said: “‘I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, making sure – especially with someone who’s significantly younger – that they are giving continuous consent.”

X is available to buy now on Prime Video, while Miller’s Girl released in theaters on 26 January.

Featured Image Credit: Little Lamb/Mad Solar Productions

Topics: Film and TV, Jenna Ortega, Celebrity

Emily Brown

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Published 15:46 2 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Jenna Ortega leaves viewers disturbed after watching her x-rated scene with Martin Freeman

Fans couldn’t quite believe the scenes she featured in alongside Martin Freeman

Gerrard Kaonga

Jenna Ortega fans are still trying to pick their jaws up off the floor after seeing just how steamy her scenes were in a film from earlier this year.

Jenna Ortega was able to win over fans of all ages through the success of Netflix’s Wednesday, as well as her part in the Scream franchise.

Suffice it to say, these fans were not prepared to see just how saucy – or whatever you want to call it – she gets with British actor Martin Freeman in 2024 film Miller’s Girl.

Miller’s Girl trailer
Credit: Lionsgate

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The film sees Ortega star as a talented 18 year-old writer, Cairo Sweet, who is guided by her mentor and teacher Jonathan Miller, played by Freeman.

The film centers much around their relationship and plays very close to the line about what is and isn’t appropriate for student teacher relations.

For people with the oddest shipping of the two actors, this is likely a dream come true, for the rest of us, its just a lil bit awkward.

One part of the Miller’s Girl sees the two actors engage in a steamy scene but as characters from a story that Sweet has written rather than their characters in the film.

The film was released in the US on January 26, 2024. (Lionsgate)

This didn’t stop social media users expressing their shock and discomfort of the two actors… well acting.

“Bro I did not need to see Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman getting it on on the tl,” one user wrote.

“MILLER’S GIRL SPOILER. This scene is f-ing crazy #jennaortega #MillersGirl,” another added.

“I feel very weird while watching this or it just me ?? sorry but not sorry bruh!” a third wrote.

Despite the disgusted reactions from some users, others found it hilarious people were losing their heads over a scene from an essential erotic thriller drama.

“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Jenny Ortega, how dare you act such a scene. That’s it, You are grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded, grounded until the next season of Netflix Wednesday Series,” one frustrated fan wrote.

Social media users expressed their shock and discomfort of the two actors… well acting. (Lionsgate)

Another commented: “An erotic thriller starring Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega lol like what were people expecting.”

“People know she’s 21 and she’s and actress right, she’s not a Wenesday,” another commented.

Regardless of where you fall on the debate, since it’s release, the movie hasn’t been a hit with fans or critics.

It currently holds a score of 29 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes’ and 42 percent audience score.

It doesn’t fare much better on IMDb either with a score of only 5.2 out of 10.