Recently, Iron Man star Gwyneth Paltrow was asked yet again if she'd return to the MCU, and she now seems, again, interested in a comeback.
With such a poor reception, many are clamoring for a return to form, and many former MCU actors such as Chris Evans are being asked if they'd ever be interested in returning to the comic book franchise.
While her vague statement was just a pronouncement of interest. However, it seems that her initial interest may be dispersed since she gave hope last year to fans that would like to see a Pepper Potts reprisal.
Iron Man Star Uninterested About MCU Comeback
Speaking on a recent episode of The Goop Podcast, fellow Marvel alumni Scarlett Johansson asked the 50-year-old Pepper Potts actress if she was done with the MCU. The star responded by saying that she "think[s] so."
“I think so. I mean, I didn’t die so they can always ask me.”
This is a marked change from when this question was asked of her in 2022, in which the actress seemed to express interest in playing Pepper Potts again and shed some doubt on whether she was truly done with Marvel.
When asked on Instagram in July 2022, Paltrow responded to a fan who asked if she would return to the MCU, saying "yo creo que sí," which translates to "I think so."
The actress acknowledged that her character "didn't die" and Marvel could "always ask [her back]," to which Johansson said she thinks Paltrow "may come back at some point."
However, Paltrow seemed unenthused about reprising an older Pepper Potts, balking at the prospect of a "64-year-old Pepper Potts:"
"Really? A 64-year-old Pepper Potts? How great."
Johansson joked that an older Pepper Potts was something she could envision and that the Marvel Studios executives would "never let [Paltrow] go."
Has Marvel Missed the Chance for a Pepper Potts Comeback?
Pepper Potts was an enduring character during Marvel's earlier phases. She was one of the first significant female characters in the franchise and came about at a time when diversity was still sorely lacking in the film industry.
While the representation of women across the MCU and film at large is still imperfect, huge strides have since been made since 2008, with last year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever becoming the biggest women-led superhero movie of all time in North America.
However, though Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts remains popular among fans, it seems that Marvel wants to move away from the Infinity Saga and embrace the new faces that were ushered in during Phase 4.
Perhaps Armor Wars would make the most sense to revisit the CEO of Stark Industries, given that the film is set to revolve around Rhodey struggling in the aftermath of Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame.
However, the upcoming film has conflicting updates, and there has been no word on a Paltrow appearance in any form.
Of course, although Paltrow seems to have a change of heart, the actress did at once seem more willing to return so long as filming only took a few days. Unknown to fans, something could well be in the works, and Paltrow is unable to share any information. Alternatively, a return could have been on the table but has since been rescinded.
As it stands, though, it seems that Paltrow has had a change of heart about returning to the comic-book franchise. The actress has enjoyed an illustrious career in the spotlight, and much like Chris Evans, may not want to tarnish the memories she did have back when the Iron Man trilogy was ongoing.
All three Iron Man films are streaming now on Disney+.
