Jon Favreau Explains Why Gwyneth Paltrow Forgot She Was in Spider-Man: Homecoming

An amusing bit of Marvel Cinematic Universe trivia went viral earlier this summer when Pepper Potts actress Gwyneth Paltrow revealed that she didn’t remember she was in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The moment occurred during an episode of The Chef Show, where Paltrow was discussing the MCU with fellow Iron Man star Jon Favreau. In an interview with Access during this weekend’s D23 Expo, Favreau justified Paltrow’s brief onscreen confusion, while explaining her acting process a bit more.

“She is the most focused person you’ll ever meet, and the most talented actor you’ll ever work with.” Favreau revealed. “And it’s very in the moment and very authentic and emotional, her portrayal. And I think that’s part of why the MCU has been so successful is she really grounded and anchored it with Robert. But I know with Gwyneth, she also doesn’t dwell on or look at her performances in the past. She’ll show up at the premiere, she’ll show up on set. She doesn’t like to linger on playback or see things. Some actors, like me, I tend to like to look at the screen and watch what I did and come back, but she very much trusts the director. She does the work, she sees the film at the premiere, and then she moves on to other things.”

“And also, I have to say, the Marvel universe over these past eleven years is very convoluted,” Favreau added. “You know, all the different storylines and characters intersect. I could understand how it could sometimes be confusing.”

This echoes comments that Favreau made last month, where he argued that even he gets confused by the ever-evolving nature of the MCU.

“With the Marvel things, they have so many films happening at the same time and all of them interweave with one another,” Favreau explained in July. “Oftentimes you’re not exactly sure what’s happening, even me. I’m an executive producer on [Avengers: Endgame], I didn’t always know what was going on.”

Even Spider-Man: Homecoming star Tom Holland addressed Gwyneth’s unique approach to the MCU, with a rather-hilarious anecdote.

“I mean, I’ve only worked with Gwyneth one time, on Spider-Man: Homecoming, which she doesn’t remember. Which still to this day breaks my heart,” Holland said in a June interview. “No, actually no, that’s not true. One time when we were shooting [Avengers:] Endgame, she was in her blue suit, and I was in my Spider-Man suit, and she came up and she asked me for a photo with me and Robert [Downey Jr]. And I think she posted it and she said, ‘Robert Downey Jr. and myself and this guy.’ I was just the guy. It was cute.”

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? In Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022.