Summary After Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Gwyneth Paltrow explains that Pepper Potts is no longer needed in the franchise, leading to her absence in the MCU.
While Iron Man’s character arc concluded perfectly, his legacy should still be represented in the franchise, particularly through characters like War Machine and Ironheart.
Marvel Studios should make use of Pepper Potts’ character by referencing her and Stark Industries in the aftermath of Thanos’ defeat, to honor Iron Man’s sacrifice.
Gwyneth Paltrow candidly explains why she left the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Endgame. As part of the MCU’s inaugural cast for Iron Man, the actor was a steady presence in the 11 years of the Infinity Saga, playing Pepper Potts — Tony Stark’s competent secretary, and eventually love interest. However, after it wrapped up in 2019, Paltrow has yet to be seen in the MCU, sparking questions from the fans.
Addressing the question of why she left the MCU, Paltrow offers a blunt answer on Instagram. She cites that after Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Pepper is supposedly no longer needed in the franchise. Read her full answer below:
Oh my god, stop yelling at me! We just stopped doing it because Iron Man died, and why do you need Pepper Potts without Iron Man? I don’t know, call up Marvel and yell at them, not me. I’m just sitting here.”
Why The MCU Still Needs Pepper After Iron Man’s Death
Iron Man’s death marked the end of the Infinity Saga for the MCU, with Marvel Studios now in the middle of setting up its next culmination with the Multiverse Saga. Tragic as it may, Stark’s end was arguably the most perfect way to write the character off. Sacrificing himself for the greater good, even though it meant leaving his family, finished his 11-year arc in the MCU brilliantly. However, just because the character is now dead, doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have any presence in the franchise.
Stark may be gone, but his legacy lives on with his contemporaries such as War Machine and Ironheart — both will be spearheading their own projects in the near future. That being said, Marvel Studios has been very reluctant about incorporating his family in the Multiverse Saga. As previously mentioned, Pepper hasn’t been seen in the franchise since Avengers: Endgame and the same goes for Morgan. Since Pepper now handles Stark Industries, it means that she still has a massive influence on the way the world functions within the MCU. Not seeing her be actively involved in whatever happening around the world is a betrayal of Iron Man’s legacy.
Related: 12 MCU Characters Who Could Have Done Iron Man’s Endgame Snap & Lived
Marvel Studios doesn’t even have to consistently feature Pepper; in fact, it doesn’t even have to physically include her to make use of the character. References about her and Stark Industries amid several crises plaguing the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the defeat of Thanos should be enough — at least for now. Not doing this makes it seem like she doesn’t care about the world that her husband died to save.
Source: @gwynethpaltrow/Instagram