Xochitl Gomez has called her Marvel breakthrough both a blessing and a burden, saying she has had trouble landing more acting jobs since appearing in Doctor Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness.
Gomez first gained attention on Disney’s Raven’s Home and Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club before being cast in the 2022 sequel as America Chavez. Since then, her screen work has been limited, though she did join and capture the title in the 2023 season of Dancing with the Stars.
In a talk with Bustle, Gomez said her MCU role as the multiverse-jumping teen led casting teams to overlook her for other projects. Even as she looked for new roles, she said some people assumed she had become too costly to book or might be tied up with more Marvel filming.
She said:
- After Doctor Strange, she found it difficult to get roles.
- People worried she was too pricey or that her schedule would clash.
- She wanted chances for smaller indie films as well.
She added that the experience felt like both a gift and a curse, because she still hoped to be considered for different kinds of projects and asked for a chance to show what else she could do.
The situation is a little surprising, since Gomez has not yet come back as America Chavez in any later Marvel project, even though fans generally liked her take on the character.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness concludes with Chavez leaving to train at Kamar-Taj, which appeared to prepare her for a bigger role later. Four years on, though, there has been no sign of her return. Rumors once suggested Marvel might develop Strange Academy, a series that could have carried the Kamar-Taj story forward, but nothing has moved ahead.
There has likewise been no obvious indication that Chavez will appear in Avengers: Doomsday or the later Avengers: Secret Wars, even though her multiverse powers seem suited to both films as the MCU’s Multiverse Saga nears its end. Still, her comeback could always be meant as a surprise.
When asked whether she might show up in Doomsday soon, Gomez said it was possible because Marvel holds the rights to her likeness.