The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, but it all began with Jon Favreau’s original Iron Man movie. That movie was a huge gamble, and starred the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. The latter played Pepper Potts in all three movies, in addition to Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, and a quick cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming (which Paltrow famously forgot). And recently the Shakespare in Love actress clapped back at a pushy fan about why she hasn’t returned since Endgame, and got real about her future as Pepper.
Despite largely retiring from acting in favor of her career at Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow returned as Pepper Potts in a few major cameos since the release of Iron Man 3. Since she’s a Marvel OG, fans are constantly wondering if/when she might return to the shared universe. Paltrow recently did a Q&A on her Instagram Story, where one Marvel fan asked why she stopped doing MCU movies. Said fan was pushy in their ask saying “I’m asking this every time answer the question”, leading Paltrow to clap back and offer:
Oh my god stop yelling at me. We jus stopped doing it because Iron Man died. And why do you need Pepper Potts without Iron Man? I don’t know. Call up Marvel and yell at them, not me. I’m just sitting here.
There you have it. Gwyneth has had it with the constant questions about her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while she’s not calling the shots of the shared universe like Kevin Feige, Paltrow doesn’t seem to think that there’s much point in her return now that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark has died.
Over the years it’s been clear that Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t as invested in the MCU as the hardcore moviegoing fans out there. She’s forgotten certain movie appearances, while also accidentally spoiling Pepper getting the Rescue suit in Endgame by sharing her motion capture pajamas. So it shouldn’t be surprising that she’s not chomping at the bit to reprise her role in a future project.
While Paltrow makes a great point given how connected Pepper’s story was to Tony Stark’s, there are some ways that fans are hoping she could pop back up in the MCU. For one, moviegoers are invested in Tony and Pepper’s daughter Morgan. Plus, the Ironheart show could open the door for some Iron Man action.
Alas, it doesn’t seem like Paltrow will be suiting back up any time soon. But since she’s usually down for a quick cameo, perhaps this could change in the future. Although it might be harder to get her invested without Robert Downey Jr. as her scene partner.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is The Marvels on November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
