Gwyneth Paltrow Announces Retirement from the Marvel Cinematic Universe – There Are Caveats!

Maybe its an indicator of what’s to come for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but Gwyneth Paltrow made the official announcement that she will no longer take on the role of Pepper Potts for future MCU films.

In an interview with Variety, Paltrow made the announcement, stating her good fortune in landing the role as the co-star to Robert Downey Jr. in the first [easyazon_link identifier=”B001FD5KJM” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Iron Man[/easyazon_link] film.

“I’m a bit old to be in a suit and all that at this point. I feel very lucky that I did it, because I actually got talked into it. I was friends with Jon Favreau. It was such a wonderful experience making the first Iron Man and then to watch how important it has become to fans.”

However, Paltrow would reveal that she might come back for a cameo or a flashback.

“I feel honored to be part of something that people are so passionate about. Of course, if they said ‘Can you come back for a day?’ I will always be there if they need me.”

Wasn’t She Already Doing That?

Let’s keep it in perspective. Paltrow hasn’t had a lot of screen time in any of the current Marvel Cinematic Films. In the recent Avengers: Infinity War, she’s in it for a few minutes in a jogging scene with Robert Downey Jr., and a voice role after he gets whisked into deep space.

The only film she’s had a bunch of screen time in as Pepper Potts was [easyazon_link identifier=”B00EB6ENXO” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Iron Man 3[/easyazon_link]. That was back in 2013.

Six years ago.

If we’re keeping it real, her announcement comes as no surprise to audiences. She hasn’t been a major player in the movies since the third Iron Man. In fact, Pepper is often a second choice to Tony Stark’s goals. He was about to announce a new member of the Avengers team – Spider-Man, and plan B is to announce a marriage. He launches as a stowaway on an alien craft to stop the annihilation of the universe, rather than stay on earth with Pepper because she’s upset.

Business As Usual

Pepper Potts’ fate after the Thanos snap is uncertain. We don’t know if Tony in that first trailer for Avengers: Endgame is sending a message to someone who simply isn’t there anymore. That in itself could be incredibly sad.

Paltrow did hint that she might play a bigger role in Avengers: Endgame. Photos have revealed the actress in what many believe to be the Rescue armor from the comics. She’s also posted teaser videos of her in motion capture gear. She even revealed that her character will have some kind of abilities in the film.

Many believe that it will be Pepper Potts in the Rescue armor who rescues Tony Stark. However, this is merely speculation and has no been confirmed.

There are also rumors that Paltrow might make an appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. In the trailer, we see her name emblazoned on the check Jon Favreau carries.

What do you think of Gwyneth Paltrow’s “announcement?” Do you think she’ll continue to do cameos for future MCU films, or is this a ruse and she’ll take on a larger role in an upcoming Marvel movie? Sound off in the comments below or let’s talk about it on social media!

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