‘Doctor Strange’s’ Xochitl Gomez “So Happy” to Be Part of Marvel’s Wave of Female Heroes

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, super-powered teenager America Chavez possesses the incredibly unique ability to punch and stomp her way through the multiverse via star-shaped portals. While Xochitl Gomez doesn’t possess any super powers (that we’re aware of, at least), she did get a bit of an idea of what it’s like to leap into an alternate reality when she took on the role of America. Being in a Marvel movie is a big deal, especially when you’re playing a fan-favorite character who’s headlined her own series and is a member of the coolest Avengers team. All of this is pretty major for Gomez, a 16-year-old who went from playing the outgoing activist Dawn Schafer on Netflix’s acclaimed Baby-Sitters Club series to saving the multiverse with Doctor Strange in the blink of an eye.

With Multiverse of Madness now streaming on Disney+ and available to purchase on digital, 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD, Gomez is finally able to talk about the blockbuster without fear of spoiling it. Decider caught up with Xochitl Gomez and asked her about being part of a diverse wave of new Marvel superheroes, what it’s like to be chased by a deep-in-character Elizabeth Olsen, and what she hopes to see in America’s future.

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Decider: Now that you’ve been America Chavez for a while, how does this compare to what you thought it would be like when you were first cast?

Xochitl Gomez: That’s interesting. When I first went into it, I truly had no idea what was gonna happen. I was just kind of winging it at first. I was like, “I don’t know what’s going on,” especially since I found out that I got the role and then it started moving just really quick. But definitely once I got [to the set], you have to just own it. Like, you just have to be there with confidence, because everything’s moving so fast, and you really have to be listening to really understand what’s going on.

You’re also one of many newcomers to the MCU, kind of a girl power wave that includes yourself, Florence Pugh as Black Widow, Hailee Steinfeld as Hawkeye, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, and Kathryn Newton’s debuting in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

I know! There’s a lot.

Who have you met?

I’ve [met] Iman, I saw her at the Ms. Marvel [red carpet premiere]. And I’ve also got to meet you know, Hayley Atwell and Elizabeth Olsen and Rachel McAdams [in Multiverse of Madness]. Personally, I feel like [female superheroes] are kind of finally normal, you know? Because all the crazy superhero stories that we have loved for so long, we have to remember that those incredible heroic transformations also happened with female characters, and now we’re getting that added daylight through these [heroes] being featured in the MCU. And I’m just so happy that they keep adding these characters. And I’m really proud of Iman and I’ve just finally finished — it took me this long, but I finally finished Ms. Marvel and I’m just so proud of her. I have to remember — I’ve been so busy with press, I have to remember to send her a message and tell her I’m so proud of her!

Speaking of Ms. Marvel, would you love to see an America Chavez series? She has a backstory that we only get a hint of in Multiverse of Madness that seems really fascinating.

I know! There’s a lot to discover about America, and I think there’s a lot more backstory that we haven’t discovered yet. She’s still learning and growing and hopefully she might, you know, get to find her parents again in a series, movie, whatever.

America is also part of a wave of queer heroes in the MCU, that also includes Sylvie in Loki and Korg and Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder. How important was it to you to bring that to the big screen?

I mean, what is probably the most impactful thing is that she was wearing the pride pin — and it wasn’t just in the front, but it was in the back. And also, there’s a little saying on the jacket that said, “amor es amor,” which is my favorite phrase on America’s denim jacket because it says “love is love.” And, you know, [love] comes in so many forms and is born out of connections between people, and I’d like to think that America will continue to find emotional connections in unexpected ways. And that’s something that I hope we get to explore down the road maybe, hopefully, fingers crossed.

You mentioned “amor es amor” — are there any other pins or drawings on America’s jacket that you wish people had gotten to see on screen?

Yes! It’s this little, tiny, cute drawing that — it’s like a little throwaway because my ponytail was always covering it or my hair was covering it — it was this little worm that had a mustache and a little hat. It’s so cute. It’s so like, “What?” But it’s so adorable and I wish people saw it.

You’ve now played America Chavez and also Dawn Schafer in Baby-Sitters Club, who are two characters that a lot of people love and they both have a lot of backstory. Was one of them more intimidating to take on than the other?

Oh, yeah. I mean, Dawn was very similar to me, you know, in the sense that she was very optimistic and very down to earth. I’d like to say that I’m like that too! But America was a little more challenging, because it’s a Marvel movie so they’re constantly doing screen tests, testing the movie and stuff, and so they changed the character quite a bit, you know? So it was a challenge to do that, and then also take on a superhero character because it’s a lot of responsibility to originate [playing] a superhero from a comic [in live action]. It’s like, “whoah” — and especially [to play a version of America] that’s younger than any of the versions in the comics. So, I had to balance all that out. Dawn was a script and I just ended up being who I was on screen.

I have to ask, since the MCU is in what I hope are the early stages of Wong-mania, what was it like working with Benedict Wong? He’s kind of become the glue of the MCU, popping up everywhere and fans can’t get enough of him. What was it like working with him, and why do you think Wong is so popular?

Yeah, I mean, it’s Benedict Wong. He’s just this super, super sweet, super fun, just this bundle of love and joy, you know? And he was there for me since day one. I mean, he literally knocked on my trailer door and said, “You know, if anything gets too like crazy or you just need someone to talk to you, I’m always here and I’m always in my trailer.” And he was always in his trailer, just listening to rave music. He was really there to cheer me up every morning, just to kick off the day with some music in his trailer.

That’s a good way to start the day because Multiverse of Madness is probably the scariest Marvel movie. Were there any effects or makeup or something on set that was actually, for real scary?

Yeah, I mean, watching Wanda — when we were having to go through all those tunnels, running and stuff, that was pretty intimidating for me because I mean, obviously, Lizzie [Olsen] is the absolute opposite of Wanda and Scarlet Witch. So watching her with all this grease and blood and, ughhh, it was just… And her dragging [her feet] and everything. She was really into it. Watching her transform into that was insane, because I was like, “Uh, I’m a little scared right now.”

We just had San Diego Comic-Con and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced, like, every single Marvel movie and show that will ever exist. Can you say where we might see America next? Or are there any specific places that you would like to see her pop up?

Oh, yes. I’m just excited because we ended with her at Kamar-Taj with Wong and I think she’s learning skills, both emotional and mystical, and I think that she’ll use what she’s learning to search for her moms, possibly, and to better understand her powers. I think that could be what’s coming for her, hopefully. I feel like she also needs a family and a place to call home, and I think Wong is doing that for her at Kumar-Taj.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now available on Digital, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD