Gwyneth Paltrow Says She'd Return As Pepper Potts For Robert Downey Jr.

With just two months to go before Avengers: Endgame, we have tons of questions to be answered and several MCU characters we might be saying goodbye to forever. While the cast has been hush-hush about what’s to come, Gwyneth Paltrow confirmed earlier this week she has no plans to keep playing Pepper Potts after Endgame… then she posted this cute “Pepperony Forever” picture get us all emotional about the MCU couple. Take a look:

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It’s been over 10 years and Pepper Potts and Tony Stark are still going strong! After all the buzz about Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent words on exiting the franchise, the actress and Goop business owner took to Instagram to ease fans. Paltrow says she’ll be Pepper anytime Robert Downey Jr. needs her, so an on-screen return of the characters isn’t completely off the table. (Then again, if RDJ is leaving the MCU too, he wouldn't need her to return...)

When the actress recently opened up about why she’s leaving her Marvel role, she explained that she’s a “bit old to be in a suit and all that at this point” but feels grateful for her time as Pepper. Gwyneth Paltrow said she was actually talked into joining the universe by her friend Jon Favreau, who directed the first two Iron Man films.

In her comments, Gwyneth Paltrow was open to coming back for a future cameo if she was asked to as well. While fans will certainly be sad to hear Gwyneth’s initial news, she doesn’t seem to be completely turning her back on her role or her on-screen fiancé, Robert Downey Jr.

The pair were part of the first MCU film Iron Man in 2008, and continued to explore their relationship throughout the trilogy. They both appeared in The Avengers, Spider-Man: Homecoming (when their engagement was announced) and Avengers: Infinity War.

Picking up with Endgame, it’s already been teased in the first trailer that Tony Stark ends up adrift in space, recording a message to Pepper as oxygen runs low. It was unclear in Infinity War if Pepper survived Thanos' snap, but it was teased through a recent toy leak that she might suit up in armor of her own and take on her Rescue persona in Endgame.

Gwyneth Paltrow has also mentioned her character and Tony will get married and have a child, teasing a potentially happy ending for the couple -- and a time jump? Since Paltrow seems open to reprising her role, one would imagine she will survive the film as well. If Tony Stark makes it out alive – maybe he’ll hang up the suits and start a family? With the actor’s contract ending, Endgame could certainly mark his last outing as Iron Man.

The actresses’ departure from Pepper (in a big way, anyway) makes sense considering she has recently struck a deal with Netflix to host a Goop television show with her COO Elise Loehnen. The 30-minute docuseries will focus on physical and spiritual wellness and feature many experts.

Prepare to say goodbye to the beloved “Pepperony” when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, 2019. It may not be goodbye forever, though!

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.