Doctor Strange's Rachel McAdams to Make Broadway Debut

Rachel McAdams is headed to Broadway. On Monday, it was announced that McAdams is set to star in an upcoming production of Mary Jane, which will premiere on Broadway next year. The play will be directed by Anne Kauffman, and will begin previews on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Additional information surrounding the cast, creative team, and opening night date will be announced at a later date. Mary Jane, which is written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog, is described as the story of a single mother dealing with an impossible family situation, while showing optimism and humor.

"I'm thrilled and very proud to be bringing this moving and heroic story of human experience by one of our great American playwrights to a Broadway stage following its acclaimed run off-Broadway in 2017, which was also directed by the brilliant Anne Kauffman," MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow said in a statement. "I'm equally pleased and honored to give Rachel McAdams her Broadway debut after audiences have enjoyed her many renowned performances on film. As a great fan of all three of these fabulous artists, I so look forward to sharing Mary Jane with our audiences."

What Roles Did Rachel McAdams Turn Down?

In a profile with Bustle earlier this year, McAdams spoke about some of the roles she did not accept during a two-year break she took in the industry, which was her attempt to distance herself from the perils of fame. These include the previously-reported role of Pepper Potts in Iron Man, as well as characters in Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, and Get Smart.

"There's certainly things like 'I wish I'd done that,'" McAdams explained. "I step back and go, 'That was the right person for that.'"

"I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot," she said. "But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane."

Not that she would have articulated it that way at the time. "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."

Will Rachel McAdams return to the MCU?

Despite turning down the role of Pepper Potts in Iron Man, McAdams joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe years later as Christine Palmer in 2016's Doctor Strange and 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At the moment, McAdams is not lined up to return to her role as Christine Palmer, but it sounds like she's definitely on board with that prospect.

"I mean, it's a great gig. So I wouldn't be sad to keep going with it," McAdams explained during an interview with Variety last year. "It's a fun part. And I liked that she's gone in different directions now. And now that the multiverse is open, you know, anything could happen. The world's your oyster." 

What do you think of the details around Rachel McAdams' Broadway debut? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!