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Over the past decade and change, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a behemoth force in the entertainment industry. But it did start with relatively humble roots, as Jon Favreau and company broke new ground with 2008's Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow led the cast, and were paired a ton of times throughout RDJ's tenure as Tony Stark. Paltrow recently spoke to the experience of kissing her Marvel co-star... and it doesn't sound all that fun.
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts' story in the MCU is one of the shared universe's biggest romances, extending over all three Phases thus far. As such, Gwyneth Paltrow has spent hours on set filming kissing scenes with Robert Downey Jr., continuing the iconic romance in the process. The Goop founder opened up about what those scenes were like, saying:
Like with Robert, when I kissed him and I was like, ‘You've got to be kidding me.’ This is literally like kissing my brother.
Mind blown. Because while Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. clearly had chemistry during their various appearances in the MCU together, it turns out that the feelings were anything but romantic. But the actors managed to power through said sequences, and used their talents to tell the story despite any awkwardness IRL.
Gwyneth Paltrow's comments come from the Goop website, where the businesswoman/actress spoke to Kate Hudson. Eventually the conversation turned to onstage kissing, where Paltrow admitted that her close relationship with Robert Downey Jr. made some romantic scenes feel icky. Luckily she overcame, and the MCU's greatest love story to life until its conclusion in Avengers: Endgame.
Marvel fans can re-watch Gwyneth Paltrow's time in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
This reveal about Pepper and Tony's MCU kisses helps to peel back the curtain on the shared universe, and the reality of filming such massive blockbusters. Because while moviegoers are treated to the finished product in theaters, each installment in the shared universe was made by people trying their best. That includes actors who might not be too keen to film certain romantic scenes.
Despite her long tenure in the MCU, Gwyneth Paltrow clearly has a unique relationship with her time playing Pepper Potts/ Rescue. Despite appearing in a whopping seven movies thus far, she's known for not really remembering much of her work, especially in her Phase Three appearances. She famously didn't realize she had appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and has also met and forgotten Bucky actor Sebastian Stan multiple times.
It should be interesting to see if/when Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts returns to the MCU. With Iron Man dead, there's presumably less reason to bring Pepper into the action in Phases Four or Five. But Pepper did become a hero in her own right in Avengers: Endgame, rocking the Rescue armor in the process. Additionally, fans would no doubt love to catch up with both Pepper and Morgan Stark-- especially after Tony's lakeside funeral.
The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow, which was recently delayed (again) to May 7, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.
