Rachel McAdams has revealed that she turned down a different role in the MCU before playing Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange.
In a new interview with Bustle, the actress opened up about her career and the "overnight" fame she experienced after Mean Girls and The Notebook came out in 2004.
McAdams revealed that she had to quickly learn how to set firm boundaries for herself, and after moving back to Canada from LA for a break, she began turning down major roles in films such as The Devil Wears Prada and Casino Royale, as well as part in Marvel's Iron Man.
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While McAdams didn't reveal which part she had been offered in the 2008 superhero film, she did admit: "There’s certainly things like 'I wish I’d done that'."
She continued: "I felt guilty for not capitalising on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot. But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.
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"There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that? It’s taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing."
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McAdams can next be seen starring in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, a new comedy-drama based on Judy Blume's 1970 novel of the same name.
McAdams plays Barbara, who leaves her life in New York City behind and moves to the suburbs of New Jersey with her 11-year-old daughter Margaret (played by Abby Ryder Fortson).
Kathy Bates also stars as Margaret's adoring grandmother Sylvia, while Uncut Gems filmmaker Benny Safdie plays Margaret's father, Simon.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is released in US cinemas on April 28 and in UK cinemas on May 19.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
