'Doctor Strange' Breakout Star Xochitl Gomez on the Importance of Feeling Seen (Exclusive)

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Xochitl Gomez is one of the youngest stars to officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a superhero. The former actress plays America Chavez in, marking the franchise’s first onscreen Latinx queer character. “I mean, it’s just crazy,” Gomez exclaims to  ET’s Matt Cohen.In the action-packed film from writer Michael Waldron and director Sam Raimi, Chavez’s arrival sends Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on an unexpected journey through the multiverse as he tries to prevent evil forces from capturing the budding hero, who has the power of traveling between dimensions.And thanks to a confident debut, Gomez will quickly become the sequel’s breakout star -- and one that fans can hope to see more of as the MCU continues to introduce diverse, younger avengers to the films and TV series as they slowly expand the representation seen onscreen. “When I was growing up, I didn’t really have too many people to look up to,” Gomez says, revealing that her idols were Selena Gomez and Dora the Explorer. “I absolutely love Dora.

I even had the cut!” As someone fully aware of what it means to see yourself in what you watch, “it was just so heartwarming to have DMs and emails of people just saying how, with me on the screen, they felt represented and that just meant the world to them,” she says, revealing those messages would make her cry. “It’s just so crazy that I get to be that person,” she continues. “Then, of course, it's taken to a whole other level with Marvel.

In America, it’s really important that people feel seen and I’m glad I get to do that.” While speaking with ET last summer, Gomez shared how honored she was at the time to land a role like this, which is “not only a Latina, but just a girl, a young girl, a superhero,.