Gwyneth Paltrow Says Robert Downey Jr. Could Get Her Out of Acting Retirement

Gwyneth Paltrow has pointed to one thing that could get her out of acting retirement: her Iron Man and Avengers co-star, Robert Downey Jr.! 

"Well, it would be very hard for me to do any acting right at the moment, just because of my job," Paltrow explained. "But, I guess Robert Downey Jr. could probably always get me back."

Paltrow then added, "You know, to some degree." 

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will take those words – especially the last part – as a sign of what could be coming in the future. Paltrow left the MCU franchise along with Downey after Avengers: Endgame – and largely left acting behind when she did. 

However, Paltrow is one of the original stars of the MCU as Tony Stark/Iron Man's assistant-turned-wife, Pepper Potts. There have been rumors for some time that Robert Downey Jr. and other actors from the original Avengers movie cast (Scarlett Johansson) could return for the upcoming event films Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Those movies will be the culmination of the MCU Multiverse Saga, which will have seen different eras of Marvel movies and TV shows all colliding in a mass incursion. It's a formula that would seemingly allow for Downey's Iron Man (who died in Endgame) to show up by way of being plucked from an alternate reality or previous point in the MCU timeline. 

If Tony Stark does make a triumphant return in Avengers: Secret Wars (or elsewhere), then one of the most important character moments fans could get would be seeing Tony re-connect with Pepper and their daughter, Morgan. That wouldn't require Potts to do anything crazy like suit up in the Rescue Armor again (like in Endgame), just show up onscreen and do some dramatic work with Downey.

Is Gwyneth Paltrow Done With Marvel? 

Gwyneth Paltrow made headlines back in Spring of this year, when she and Scarlett Johansson sat down for a talk on her goop Podcast show. Paltrow said that while she was personally done with the MCU, Pepper Potts still was still alive, and that always created potential for a return appearance: "I mean, I didn't die so they can always ask me," she said. 

Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson seemed less inclined to make a return for Secret Wars, stating in no uncertain terms that when it comes to Black Widow: "I'm done. Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do." Behind the scenes, she does, however, have a Marvel project in development. 

Avengers: Secret Wars is currently in development.