What does Gwyneth Paltrow’s MCU exit mean for Pepper/Tony’s story

Gwyneth Paltrow is bidding adieu to the MCU. How could her exit impact the future of Pepper Potts and Tony Stark.

Gwyneth Paltrow has played Pepper Potts in the MCU off and on ever since the inception of this universe in the first Iron Man movie. Though she hasn’t starred in every film that Robert Downey, Jr. has, Paltrow’s role as Pepper has played a key role in the Iron Man storyline.

With so much speculation about what will happen in Avengers: Endgame, and what the MCU will be like after this film, anytime actors in the franchise announce their future plans, we take notice.

In an interview with Variety, Paltrow shared the major news that after Endgame, she’ll be exiting the MCU. She told the outlet:

"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."

While it’s been mostly confirmed that Pepper Potts will appear in Endgame, and there have been leaked photos of her in her Rescue armor, how big of a part she will play is still unknown.

If Pepper’s future seems to be coming to an end, this amps up our concern for the fate of Iron Man. Many fans are already worried that Endgame will lead to the demise of Iron Man/Tony Stark. Paltrow’s announcement, while solely about her and her future with the MCU, doesn’t do much to ease those concerns.

If Avengers: Endgame really is the last time Paltrow will play the character, it makes sense that there would be some sort of resolution to her storyline. In Infinity War, Tony and Pepper were finally engaged and planning their wedding, so their stories are very connected. Before you start worrying that Pepper herself may meet a sad fate, Paltrow did mention she could be seen again in some way or another.

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

We can try to stay optimistic here, and assume Tony and Pepper both will be just fine and their relationship may just take the backseat to other storylines in the MCU (it sort of has already).

If Tony doesn’t die, it’s possible that the two characters could mostly retire and focus more on family life together. It’s also possible that Iron Man could appear in future MCU films even if Pepper doesn’t. For example, Iron Man played a big role in Captain America: Civil War even though Pepper didn’t make a physical appearance.

Fingers crossed Paltrow’s announcement to leave the MCU doesn’t mean anything tragic for our main man, Tony Stark.

What do you think of Gwyneth Paltrow’s announcement? Do you think this gives any hints about Pepper and Tony’s future in the MCU? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!