The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an absolute monster of a franchise right now. If you score a role in an MCU movie, there’s a good chance it could be an instant game changer. Yes, at this point we’re talking about the support of a colossal fandom that’s grown significantly over the course of 23 films, but according toKate Mara, hopes for long term involvement in the MCU were mighty high even at the very beginning.
In an upcoming episode ofCollider Ladies Nightin honor of Mara’s new show,A Teacher, Mara took a moment to revisit her experience getting involved in the MCU and what her expectations were for her role. It’s a short and sweet one, but in the 2010 release,Iron Man 2, Mara pops up briefly as a US Marshal who serves Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) a subpoena. How exactly did that cameo come to be? Here’s how Mara put it:
“I had a meeting with Jon Favreau for that and they had said to me, ‘It’s a very, very small part, but it’s with Robert Downey and Jon, and it’ll be really fun. And a lot of times they bring these characters back into bigger more substantial roles.’ It wasn’t a promise, but it was definitely something that was hinted at to me. So that’s the reason why I even took the meeting was because I thought, ‘Well, if there’s a chance of it, why not spend an evening working with Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau? Great. I love them both. They’re amazing. It’ll be a good experience.’ And that’s exactly what it ended up being. It ended up being nothing more than that, but it really was fun. And we were shooting until like four in the morning. But yeah, it’s a weird cameo that turned into really nothing. But I don’t mind!”
While it is a bit of a bummer to think the MCU could have had more Mara in it, both parties are still winners here; the MCU is one of the biggest franchises out there and Mara’s been racking up impressive projects over the years, personal favorites beingThe Martian,Megan Leaveyand her run on Season 1 ofPose, just to name a few. It’s also well worth taking the time to highlight Mara’s work inA Teacher, which truly does mark one of her best performances yet. You can check out our ownLiz Shannon Miller’s glowing review of the seriesright here. The first four episodes ofA Teacherare now available to watch on FX on Hulu.
