Gwyneth Paltrow Is Departing From the MCU: 'It Was Such a Wonderful Experience'

Gwyneth Paltrow is exiting the Marvel Universe. The actress who has spent more than a decade playing Iron Man confidant Pepper Potts told Variety that she's done with the endless wave of interconnected superhero films.

“I mean, I’m a bit old to be in a suit and all that at this point,” Paltrow said. “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.”

Paltrow said the she was glad to be a part of such an enduring cultural phenomenon, even as she's making her way toward the door. She said that she wouldn't be opposed to returning for flashback scenes or brief cameos, but her days of regularly shooting alongside Robert Downey Jr. are done.

“I feel honored to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” she said. “Of course, if they said, ‘Can you come back for a day?,’ I will always be there if they need me.”

Paltrow was speaking to the industry mag due to the 20th anniversary of her star-making turn in Shakespeare in Love. That Oscar-winning film —it netted Paltrow a statue for Best Actress— is about as far from the popcorn films she starred in as Pepper Potts as you can get. However, Paltrow said that the conversation has shifted around spandex flicks, with better crafted movies leading to potential Oscar wins.

“So if the vernacular in film is superhero movies and they’re great movies, then I guess why not, right?” Paltrow said. “I loved Black Panther. I thought it was a really powerful movie and culturally very important. So that’s great that it was nominated. I mean that’s so cool.”

Take a look at Paltrow's whole interview over at Variety.