Rachel McAdams Turned Down Iron Man Role Long Before Joining The MCU In Doctor Strange

After Mean Girls and The Notebook, Rachel McAdams was a rising star in Hollywood in the mid-2000s. So she had a ton of opportunities that she ultimately passed up at the time, including the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Iron Man.

Speaking with Bustle, McAdams revealed that she turned down appearing in Iron Man after relocating to Canada to focus on herself and family. She also declined opportunities for roles in Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible 3, and The Devil Wears Prada. While McAdams does sometime think "I wish I'd done that," she's also gracious of who ultimately got those parts. "I step back and go, 'That was the right person for that,'" she said.

McAdams did ultimately become a part of the MCU in 2016 as Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange. She reprised that role last year in Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness and also provided her voice for an episode of What If…? on Disney+.

Reflecting on her two-year break from acting, the Game Night actress shared her mixed feelings but ultimately noted it was needed. "I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot," McAdams said. "But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane."

Looking ahead, McAdams will next be seen in Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. The film is based on the Judy Blume novel and will also star Abby Ryder Fortson (Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Kathy Bates (Misery, Titanic).

Also, be sure to check out GameSpot's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review.