MCU: How Kate Mara's Iron Man 2 Character Could Return

Kate Mara had a brief role in 2010's Iron Man 2, but that doesn't mean she has to be finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe forever. The franchise's third installment followed Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) struggling with his Iron Man responsibilities as he faced multiple villains like Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Iron Man served as one of the key leaders in the fictional universe up until his heroic death in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. The MCU will soon begin Phase 4, which will consist of more feature films as well as TV series.

Mara portrayed the role of a U.S. Marshal in her first and only MCU appearance. The unnamed figure was the one who served Tony a subpoena after waiting outside of his car at the Stark Expo. Since Tony refused to take the envelope, Happy Hogan was forced to do so. At the time of the cameo, Mara was already an established actress, appearing in a few dozen film and TV roles. Though she appeared in Brokeback Mountain, We Are Marshall, and Shooter prior to her MCU debut, her more notable roles came right after. Aside from appearing in American Horror Story's debut season, Mara has notably worked on House of Cards, Pose, The Martian, and Chappaquiddick.

Although Mara's time in the MCU was short-lived, the actress did get another chance in portraying a popular Marvel Comics character for live-action. In 2015, Mara played Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four remake. The film was panned by critics and viewers alike, but that shouldn't be the reason Mara never makes a return to the MCU. In fact, Mara believed she had a bigger future in the MCU when she initially signed on for Iron Man 2. While reprising her role as Sue Storm is probably out of the question when the MCU eventually incorporates the Fantastic Four, there are ways her Iron Man 2 character could come back into the fold.

The MCU Should Take A Note From Mara's Bethany Cabe Rumors

When Mara was cast in Iron Man 2, there was a rumor that she would be playing Bethany Cabe, a classic Marvel Comics character who spent time under the moniker of Iron Woman and War Machine. Beth, as she was also known, was highly skilled in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, and she also worked as a security guard. The actor was also briefly Tony's girlfriend when he had a run-in with Justin Hammer in the comics. Based on her background, Mara's mysterious character seemed like a perfect fit to eventually emerge as the MCU's Iron Woman. Just because so much time has passed, it doesn't mean she can't return to the franchise for that exact purpose. With Tony dead, the universe will be lacking an Iron Man-like figure, so why not introduced another member of the Iron Legion in Bethany Cabe?

Based on Beth's fighting capabilities and security background, the character would greatly fit into Disney+'s Nick Fury show that's in the works. Seeing as Mara played a U.S. Marshal, it would be plausible to learn that Fury brought her into the mix, especially if she turned out to be the real Bethany Cabe. Appearing in a TV series might be the better move to give someone like Mara more time to evolve her MCU character. Either way, Mara's continued prominence in the entertainment industry proves that she's highly capable of taking on another superhero role. She certainly deserves another chance, and it would be a fun callback to Iron Man 2.

Next: MCU Villains Who Could Be More Powerful Than Thanos In Phase 4 (& Beyond)