Avengers: Gwyneth Paltrow announces exit from MCU

Gwyneth Paltrow has announced she is hanging up her suit and heels as Pepper Potts, but what does this announcement mean for future movies?

Iron Man and Avengers actress Gwyneth Paltrow recently announced her plans to retire from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, marking for another definitive ending to a beloved character:

Speaking to Variety, the actress said on her future in the MCU:

"“I mean, 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 friend with [‘Iron Man’ director] Jon Favreau. It was such a wonderful experience making the first ‘Iron Man’ and then to watch how important it has become to fans.”"

Although another full movie is off the table, she does add that a return for a cameo would not be out of the question, leaving some hope that fans might get a glimpse of the Stark industries CEO again.

Paltrow noted:

"“Of course, if they said, ‘Can you come back for a day?,’ I will always be there if they need me”"

But given the truth of the Marvel Universe, with its propensity for flashbacks, alternate universes, and time travel, both of these comments really only tell fans what they already know.

That the end of an era is upon them.

More from Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Loki season 2 finale does set the stage for Kang Dynasty
• Marvel: (Spoiler) exits Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
• Will Loki air a new bonus episode tonight? (November 16, 2023)
• What If…? season 2 gets premiere date (and there’s a major twist)
• Marvel rumors hint Pedro Pascal has been cast in key Fantastic Four role

With Endgame slated to be a swan song for many of MCU’s beloved heroes, it’s unsurprising that Pepper Potts, so tightly connected to the core of Phase One, would depart as well. And while there’s no predicting what exactly this means, it does seem to be a leading indicator for the fate of Tony Stark. Pepper and Tony have always had a stormy relationship, and the end of one does not have to mean the end of the other. But they have also always, for the most part, been intertwined.  A departing Pepper does feel like a departing Tony, whatever the emotional valance of the exit. And again, while preemptive, a buzz on whether this is another nail in the hypothetical Iron-Coffin is brewing across the internet.

Variety also notes Endgame to be the last movie for Gwyneth, but she was recently connected to Spider-Man: Far From Home filming, which will release after the fourth Avengers film. But given the way these movies have been filmed and the secrecy surrounding all information, it’s possible there have been wires crossed along the way, or this is just another instance of misdirection in either interview or filming.

Although it does seem like Pepper survived the snap at the end of Infinity War, even her Endgame fate itself remains unclear. But with no more Pepper on the horizon, the audience can only hope she finds a fitting end to her story.