Gwyneth Paltrow Announces Semi-Retirement From Marvel Movies
“Don’t feel too bad about this. Part of the journey is the end.” That’s what Tony Stark said to Pepper Potts in the trailer for Avengers: Endgame, and it seems to ring true for Gwyneth Paltrow as well, since she plans to retire from doing future Marvel movies outside of the possibility of doing an occasional cameo.
In a new interview with Variety, Paltrow revealed that she doesn’t expect to do a ton of Marvel franchise work going forward, even though her character has only been involved in a few memorable action sequences over her 11-year role as the CEO of Stark Industries and love of Tony’s life:
“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.”
And when it comes to “being in a suit”, she might be speaking literally. Evidence has appeared suggesting that Potts will suit up as Rescue in Avengers: Endgame, and even though that role would less demanding to film than the likes of Captain America or Thor, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect her to be chomping at the bit to headline a three-movie Iron Woman franchise and a handful of crossovers considering that she’s already had a pretty long run.
But it should still be noted that her appearing as Potts again is not off the table. When asked if this meant that she’d never return to a Marvel film, she stated that she’s keeping an open mind:
“I feel honored to be a part of something that people are so passionate about. Of course, if they said, ‘Can you come back for a day?,’ I will always be there if they need me.”
In any case, it seems highly likely that the culmination of Marvel’s slate of over twenty films will be the swan song for a number of characters, and with Robert Downey Jr. treating this film like it’s his last one as Iron Man, it would only make sense that some of his supporting characters won’t be as present as they were in previous films. But never say never, as surprise cameos and unexpected returns aren’t impossible in the realm of comic books or their movie adaptations…
Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, 2019.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
