A Simple Trip to Disneyland Turned Awkward for Kat Dennings After She Completely Blanked on Her Own MCU Career
True to form.
Kat Dennings had one of those moments at Disneyland where reality smacked her right in the face. According to PEOPLE, while strolling through Avengers Campus with her family, fans kept waving at her, and she genuinely forgot she was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It wasn’t until her husband nudged her that she realized why people were so excited to see her.
She was dressed just like Darcy Lewis, the character she’s played since 2011’s Thor, complete with a flannel shirt, glasses, and a hat. The whole thing left her laughing at herself, calling it “so stupid”. Dennings shared the story on the June 29, 2026, episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, explaining how she’d been in full vacation mode, not even registering that she was walking through a land dedicated to the franchise she’s been part of for over a decade.
“When I’m not working, I don’t think about it,” she said. “I’m really just living and not thinking about it.” It wasn’t until her husband asked if she was okay that the lightbulb went off. “Oh my god, I’m in these movies! I forgot!” she recalled. The moment was so surreal that she even posted about it on Threads in April 2025, writing, “I went to Avengers Campus at Disneyland and people were waving at me and I forgot why. I genuinely forgot why.”
Dennings has been a longtime resident of the MCU
The actress, who made her MCU debut in Thor as Jane Foster’s research assistant, has since become a fan-favorite character. Darcy started as a snarky, relatable sidekick but eventually earned her doctorate in astrophysics, proving she was more than just comic relief. Dennings reprised the role in Thor: The Dark World, WandaVision, Thor: Love and Thunder, and multiple episodes of What If…?, making her one of the most consistent supporting players in the MCU.
Yet, despite her deep ties to the franchise, she still sees herself as just another person enjoying life outside of Hollywood. “I don’t think I’m that famous,” she said. “I think if you hear my voice, you’re like, ‘I’ve heard that in a rerun at like 2:00 in the morning somewhere.’”
Dennings’ forgetfulness might seem surprising, but it’s not entirely out of character for her. She’s always been open about her laid-back approach to fame, preferring to keep her personal life private. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, she joked about Marvel having a full body scan of her, meaning they could theoretically insert her into any future project without her even knowing.
“They did scan me, so to be honest, they could put me in anything they want at this point,” she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Who knows? I’m in the system!” The comment was lighthearted, but it touched on a growing concern in Hollywood about the use of AI and digital scans. Actors like Nicolas Cage have spoken out against the practice, calling it unsettling.
Cage, who played Ghost Rider in the 2007 film, said he’s “terrified” of AI and worries about what will happen to his likeness after he’s gone. “What are you going to do with my body and my face when I’m dead? I don’t want you to do anything with it!” he told The New Yorker.
Marvel’s use of body scans isn’t new, though
VFX supervisor Stephane Ceretti explained in a 2018 interview that the scans are primarily for costuming purposes, ensuring that digital recreations of actors match their real-life proportions. “In most Marvel films, we scan all the actors in their costume with other costumes so that we have a really good 3D scan of everything,” he said while discussing Ant-Man and the Wasp.
“So it’s all built based off their real sizes, and we have to recreate the costume to make sure that they wrinkle correctly.” For Dennings, the scan means her Darcy Lewis could pop up in future projects without her ever stepping foot on set. It’s a strange thought, but one that’s becoming more common in an industry increasingly reliant on digital effects.
Dennings’ Disneyland moment is a funny reminder that even actors who’ve been in some of the biggest franchises in the world don’t always see themselves the way fans do. She’s spent years playing a beloved character, yet she still views her fame as something distant, like a rerun playing in the background of her life.
It’s a refreshing perspective in an era where celebrity culture often blurs the line between public and private personas. For Dennings, the MCU is just one part of her career, and she’s happy to keep it that way. “I enjoy the relative peace of my life,” she said. “I feel good about it.”
Her current focus is on Shifting Gears, the ABC comedy where she stars alongside other former sitcom favorites. The show’s third season is set to air in 2027, giving her plenty of time to forget about her Marvel past all over again. And if fans wave at her in Disneyland next time, she might just wave back before remembering why they’re cheering. After all, in the happiest place on Earth, it’s easy to forget you’re part of something much bigger.
(Featured image: Marvel Studios/© 2011 Paramount Pictures)
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