With a decade in the comics, América Chávez comes to the MCU thanks to the talent of Xóchitl Gómez, who told us how she got to the character.
América Chávez is a young character within the Marvel Comics Universe, and despite that, she has quickly become a benchmark for the example of diversity that she entails. Namely: she was raised by two mothers, she is Latina and a lesbian. As if that were not enough, her powers are fundamental if we talk about the Multiverse.
For these and other reasons, América Chávez debuts in real action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, played by the Mexican-American actress Xóchitl Gómez, who told us how she came to the Marvel movies and the character.
The first thing we want to know is what the audition process for a Marvel Studios movie is like, and Xóchitl Gómez says: “It’s a really crazy story. I did my first audition in March 2020. Since it was Marvel Studios, they did everything completely fake: the names of the characters, the story, the plot, everything. I did that audition, and then I didn’t hear anything for six months. So I thought that they didn’t like me and that I wasn’t the chosen person. I moved on to something else, and then I got a call.”
However, luck was on their side: “They came looking for me a couple of days after I submitted the audition. That means they like you and consider you one of the options for the character. Every time you get spotted, it’s so exciting. I got a call to do a screen test in London, and that’s when they told me what character it was for and that it was a Marvel Studios movie. I had my suspicions that it was going to be a superhero movie and it sounded like Doctor Strange.
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The beginning of the works
Xóchitl Gómez tells the rest of the story of her arrival at the MCU: “They told me I had 10 days to prepare and go to London. So I had to get my passport ready and pack my bags. This was all during the pandemic, so I had to self-isolate for seven days and then do my screen test, which was crazy. I thought it was going to be like a conference room, but since it’s Marvel Studios, nothing is normal. I did my screen test on the set of the Sanctum Sanctorum.”
“There were about 80 crew members on a working set, it wasn’t just a normal screen test. She was very nervous and that was the first time I met Benedict Cumberbatch. He really had to calm me down. He was very kind and charming. Also, Sam Raimi and Richie Palmer were super cute. The experience was so crazy that I just had to remember that I was there to audition.”
Then I went home and two or three days later, I got a Zoom call with my agent and casting director, Sarah Finn, and they welcomed me into the Marvel Studios family as America Chavez. It just surprised me and I think I’m still surprised. I guess I didn’t realize it was real until I started packing a couple of weeks later to go to England and started shooting the movie. It’s crazy.”
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Finally, Xóchitl Gómez approached the character of América Chávez
Xóchlitl also talked about her approach to the character of América Chávez, which was not completely unknown to her: “I’m a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so I’ve literally seen all the movies and shows multiple times. I had my suspicions, so I looked it up. There were some specific things like, for example, when he said multiversal portal. I hadn’t read the America Chavez comics yet. So, I followed my gut and made the decisions that I thought this character from the comics would make. I put in a lot of cheekiness and intensity, but also tons of determination and confidence.”
Already with the knowledge of her counterpart in the comics, Xóchitl Gómez can narrate the differences between paper America and that of the movies: “In the MCU she is younger. America is 14 years old and younger than any superhero in comics. That’s already huge. There is a lot of material you can create there. The writer, Michael Waldron, did a new story that comes before the comics. She still has that combativeness of hers and that tough exterior. But she has some teenage energy mixed in…”
“Well, I loved how they put America in a Doctor Strange movie, because she has this amazing ability to travel the Multiverse. He doesn’t feel forced at all. It feels like normal, so it just works. I’m so happy the writers were able to fit that perfectly. I love how young it is because we haven’t really seen that. It is as if we did not choose this combo, but it works very well. I think people are really going to like that.”
discovering america
Xóchitl Gómez also took a few minutes to talk about the character inside and out, from América’s soul to her wardrobe: “In this movie, América is trying to figure out how to control her powers. With that comes a crazy ride, and that’s the movie. She has some confidence. Even when she’s in a tough situation and everything is against her, she has that confidence.”
However: “It took a lot of work to make sure he wasn’t just screaming. She has a purpose and a voice of her own. That is very difficult because it is a great responsibility to create a character, a heroine. When I auditioned for the first time, there were a lot of things I hadn’t thought of before. I have a responsibility to convey all of her decisions and character choices at all times. So in a scene where she’s upset or doesn’t know what to do, I have to have her confidence and her intelligence because that’s who she is. You can’t just make her sad and then happy.”
What was not difficult for him was the look of the character: “The point is that America dresses very much like me. On casual days, she wears black ripped jeans and a T-shirt with a nice jacket over it and a ponytail. I use this all the time. So when I first walked in, I was amazed at all these jackets in such detail. I love the star design on the back of the jacket.”
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Xóchitl Gómez also dedicated a few words to the talent with whom he worked:
Sam Raimi: “He is the best. He is creative, collaborative, and lovable. When he gets really excited and feels that he did well, he goes back to his seat and says cut. He makes you feel that you have done a good job… he also listens to what I have to say. If I feel like I want to change something and explore it, he won’t really question it. He will do it anyway just to have the option. That feels really good as an actress because I feel like I can make a contribution.
Benedict Cumberbatch: “From the beginning he was very kind and sweet, and he really helped me. There have been times when I don’t know what to do. He takes me aside and helps me, suggests some techniques. That’s very generous and very kind of you because obviously I’m just a 14-year-old girl. I will definitely use those techniques later. As we’ve been filming, we’ve gotten closer and have little banter with each other. We both like to rehearse before filming, and it’s nice to have someone you act with who understands. We go in and rehearse and ask any questions we have. Then we do the scene and it just flows.”
Elizabeth Olsen: Lizzie is so sweet…so talented. The way she knows Wanda is amazing. It’s an inspiration from her and I’ve taken little acting techniques from her, like preparing a couple of minutes before they call to act. She takes a deep breath, to really be in the scene. I do it now because I realize that she helps a lot to achieve what the scene requires, and make it seem so believable and real. But she really is so talented. She is like a goddess. I want to be her one day and it honestly blows my mind.
Finally, Xóchitl answers a question that many ask
Xóchitl, tell us, what is the Multiverse?
“The Multiverse is a theory that there are many universes simultaneously existing alongside each other. So basically there are many universes that exist at the same time and have the same people and many of the same events. But there is something distinctly different in each universe. That makes it very difficult when you can visit the universes. You get to meet your other self, and then he goes super crazy and wild.”
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Doctor Strange awaits you in our online store with:
Marvel Deluxe – Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme Volume 1
The Death and Life of Stephen Strange!
The world believes that Doctor Strange is dead, but that could soon be real, when Dormammu steals his body! Can Clea and Topaz help Strange regain control of his corporeal form?
Also, the New Defenders are back and Strange takes on a new apprentice: It’s Rintrah and he comes from another mysterious dimension! What will happen when Doc’s soul is put into play after Baron Mordo’s attack, once the demon lords, Satannish and Mephisto, pull their trick?
Collect Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #1-8.
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