Robert Downey Jr. Playfully Roasts Gwyneth Paltrow Saying She is "Forever Confused By the Basic Tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe"
Gwyneth Paltrow has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the first film, Iron Man, in 2008. She played Pepper Potts, right hand gal to Tony Stark, who went on to become his wife and mother of his daughter.
Tony Stark has unfortunately seen his last Marvel movie, after giving his life for his family and friends in Avengers: Endgame, but he had quite a run and made a huge impact.
Downey got the chance to rib his beloved co-star about her confusion around the interwoven Marvel stories in the MCU at The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 Women in Entertainment breakfast gala, where he didn’t waste any time before teasing her for being “impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants.”
Paltrow has frequently gone viral for forgetting key Marvel moments and even which of the superhero films she’s been in.
“’Who’s that?'” Downey said Paltrow once asked, to which he jokingly responded, “‘That’s Spider-Man. He said his name was Peter. His character’s name is Peter. He’s Tom Holland. You’ve done four movies with him.'”
Throughout his speech, Downey Jr. looked back at her long career and the impressive film resumé she’s built. She first broke out in Hollywood in 1998 with her Oscar-winning performance in Shakespeare in Love before starring in dozens of other projects including her upcoming film, Marty Supreme.
While Paltrow has no current (confirmed) plans to return to the MCU, she also hasn’t ruled it out. Stay tuned for updates and keep an eye out.