Summary
While theMarvel Cinematic Universehas traded Kang for Robert Downey Jr’s recasting as Doctor Doom, it’s still unclear if the franchise co-star whose character would be most impacted by this eerie resemblance will be there to see it unfold.
TheMCUmarked a major moment in superhero adaptation history when it successfully managed to exist long enough to build up and pay off a Crisis-level crossover story arc on the big screen, with the mainlineAvengersfilm series bringing the entire fictional world together forInfinity WarandEndgame,bringing an end to the Infinity Saga and the threat posed by Thanos, at the heavy cost of Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic Iron Man. While Tony Stark’s heroic death is seemingly set in stone, the actor himself has since been recast as the next big bad of the franchise, set to play the villainous Victor Von Doom in the climax of the ongoing Multiverse saga.Since the announcement, fans have been waiting for the character’s proper MCU debut in the renamedAvengers: Doomsday, though it’s also been rumored thatRDJ’s Doom could make a first appearance sooner.
The Russos have been pretty militant aboutkeeping their plans for the upcoming MCU mainline films under wrapssince their return to the MCU,so fans have no idea who might be returning inAvengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.One major fan selection for a return has been Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, as the character was the closest in the franchise to Tony Stark and would easily be the most interesting character to watch react to the impending arrival of Doom, who just so happens to look exactly like her dead husband. Recently, Paltrow hosted a Q&A session on her social media pages, the results of which were reposted byDeadlineon X. During the informal Q&A, a fan asked if Paltrow would be returning to the MCU, prompting the actress to give an earnest but otherwise unhelpful response. “The truth is, I don’t totally know,” Paltrow responded. “I think I might, but I’m not sure. Nothing is confirmed. That is the truth. That’s the inside scoop.”
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts Could Easily Make An MCU Return
While she’s had a very successful career with a plethora of high-profile roles even beyond the superhero genre, Paltrow has been very vocal about losing her drive to keep up her Hollywood career. Instead, she’s spent the last few years focusing on other ventures, including her company, Goop. Because of this attitude towards the industry, Paltrow hasn’t been taking on any major roles in big productions, especially not the sort that would involve a multi-year Disney Marvel-style commitment. Despite this,Paltrow has previously been amenable to a conditional MCU returnwith the stipulation that it be a minor role that can be filmed quickly, and since her character isn’t one of the franchise’s heavy hitters, there’s no reason why that couldn’t be arranged. However, it’s unclear whether the franchise will have a place for her, as the Russos are reportedly spoiled for choice on who will appear in the upcoming movies. The pool is so large that some rumors suggest trimming it down is the main reason thatAvengers: Doomsdayisn’t further along. So it all depends on whether or not the Russos see value in having Pepper back.
Thanks in part to the lack of time and character development the franchise has seen overall sinceEndgame,it’s clear thatPepper and Tony are still the MCU’s best romance. It would be interesting to see how that dynamic would play out with RDJ’s new villainous role and Pepper’s potential place as an Avenger in her Rescue armor. It’s still early days in the development of the upcoming mainline films, so fans can wait and see how things shape up in the time leading up toAvengers:Doomsday.While Paltrow’s attitude and the bloated roster make her addition a stretch, stranger things have happened, so there’s always hope.
