It's been a surprisingly long time since we've seen Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts make an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with her last credit being nearly four years ago in Shane Black's Iron Man 3, which was the last film on her Marvel contract.
Despite being rumored for follow-up appearances in both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, Marvel has opted not to renew her contract for the time being and in turn, her character has been seldom mentioned since, save for small updates provided by Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, one of which revealed that the duo, like Ross & Rachel before them, were officially on a break.
It's unclear why Marvel has chosen not to renegotiate with Paltrow just yet, but her expected salary increase, which would be hefty even for the smallest of cameos, likely played a big part in their decision-making. However, with Sony Pictures footing the bill on Iron Man's next appearance in the MCU, it seems as though Marvel Studios may have found a way around negotiating a new contract with Paltrow while also bringing Pepper back into the fold.
According to the Lainey Gossip, which has an impressive track record when it comes to nailing Marvel scoops, Paltrow will reprise her role as Pepper Potts in Spider-Man: Homecoming this summer, joining former Iron Man co-stars RDJ and Jon Favreau. The extent of her role is unknown and this report should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but if true, it's more likely than not that it'll be a cameo of some sort over anything else.
Additionally, the report suggests that while Sony is extremely happy with Marvel's creative input and direction on Homecoming, they might not be particularly pleased with their spending habits, seemingly adding fuel to the fire that this unprecedented partnership may be heading toward a premature divorce.
So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
Spider-Man: Homecoming features:
Director: Jon Watts
Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
Donald Glover in an undisclosed role
Logan Marshall-Green in an undisclosed role
Bokeem Woodbine as Herman Schultz/Shocker
Zendaya Coleman as Michelle
Laura Harrier as Liz Allan
Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson
Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
Michael Barbieri as Jason Macendale
Kenneth Choi as Principal Morita
Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington
Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson
Isabella Amara as Sally
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Jorge
J.J. Totah in an undisclosed role
Selenis Leyva as Ms. Warren
Abraham Attah as Abraham
Michael Mando in an undisclosed role
Garcelle Beauvais in an undisclosed role
Tyne Daly in an undisclosed role
Tiffany Espensen as Cindy
Angourie Rice as Betty Brant (rumored)
Martha Kelly in an undisclosed role
Michael Chernus as Phineas Mason/Tinkerer
Jona Xiao in an undisclosed role
Christopher Berry as Lenny Ballinger
Tunde Adebimpe as Mr. Cobwell
Ethan Dizon as Tiny
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters July 7
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