“That can’t be right,” Gwyneth Paltrow recently exclaimed in an interview with Vanity Fair. The actress was in disbelief over the number of Marvel films she’s reportedly starred in: “I can’t have been in seven. Is that true?”
It is — and that number may be growing soon. Paltrow teased as much during a keynote at Brown University’s Family Weekend, telling the audience that she “might be in another Marvel movie” sooner or later. It’s hard to know whether the actress is officially returning to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe as Pepper Potts, partner to Tony Stark and a fledging hero in her own right. Paltrow has always been hilariously nonchalant (sometimes a bit clueless, even) about her role the MCU: she has no idea which films she’s appeared in, let alone how many are on her resume. But there may be some truth to her most recent comments on Marvel either way. It’s been years since Pepper Potts has appeared in a Marvel project, but with the franchise headed towards its biggest crossover yet, Paltrow could easily return. But will she be the same character we know and love?
The MCU will soon bring all its disparate storylines to a head in Avengers: Doomsday and its follow-up, Secret Wars. The film is set to bring the Multiverse Saga to a close, but before it does, it will feature more Marvel characters than any story that’s come before it. Some will be familiar characters from other universes, like Fox’s X-Men. Others could be takes on new characters played by familiar faces.
With Robert Downey Jr. slipping into a new role as the nefarious Doctor Doom, anything is possible. Paltrow might even play a different character than we’re used to, maybe even one aligned with Downey’s Doom. His villain hails from a different universe entirely, and though it’s unclear whether this version of Doom is a variant of Tony Stark or Victor Von Doom himself, it is clear that things in that timeline are drastically different. If the Russo brothers (who are returning to direct Doomsday and Secret Wars) truly want to shake things up, Paltrow might return as a darker version of Pepper — or even a variant of someone like Sue Storm, the subject of Doom’s constant obsession.
Of course, this is all just speculation at this point, but it could go a long way in selling the true possibilities of Marvel’s multiverse. Paltrow’s original portrayal of Pepper was always compelling, but she was also running out of road. The character arguably peaked in Iron Man 3, and subsequent appearances in the MCU haven’t given her much to do. Sure, she debuted as the hero called Rescue in Avengers: Endgame, but was mostly in the film to react to the loss of Tony Stark. It’d be great if, when Paltrow returns, she’s in a more active, less reactionary role. It doesn’t have to be as an evil variant or a different character, but there has to be a good reason to bring her back, and the multiverse could be a strong motivator.
