“He was the one who convinced her”: Robert Downey Jr. is the Reason Why Major Iron Man Actor Returned to The Avengers
Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have been the face of one of the most significant projects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Released in 2008, Iron Man was the first movie that led to the foundation of the billion-dollar superhero franchise.
The world was introduced to the beautiful chemistry between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts played by Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow respectively.
However, not many people know that the Goop founder was not supposed to be a part of the biggest crossover of the Marvel superheroes. But all thanks to Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow was seen reprising the character of Pepper Potts in the 2012 release The Avengers.
Robert Downey Jr. Is The Reason For Gwyneth Paltrow’s The Avengers Association
Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have been associated with the leading superhero franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since its first project Iron Man. Despite reprising the character of Pepper Potts in multiple projects, Gwyneth Paltrow was not supposed to be a part of the biggest crossover of the franchise The Avengers.
According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2012, The Avengers director Joss Whedon spoke about his much-hyped crossover project, Robert Downey Jr., and the inclusion of Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie. He said-
“You need to separate the characters from their support systems in order to create the isolation you need for a team. But Pepper, this was really Robert’s thing. He pushed hard.”
He further explained-
“He really thought Gwyneth would bring something great to the table, and we all thought so as well, but he was the one who convinced her to come and do it. He didn’t want to be sort of, crazy alone guy, he wanted to be crazy in-a-relationship guy,”
Robert Downey Jr. insisted on including his co-star in The Avengers. The chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow has been loved by their fans, but the actor duo have always maintained a relationship like siblings.
Robert Downey Jr. Loves His Iron-Man Co-star Gwyneth Paltrow Like A Sister
During the promotion of Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus project Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. appeared on Wired’s The Web’s Most Searched Questions along with the legendary filmmaker. Amongst the list of questions asked, one even mentioned whether he liked his Iron Man co-star Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Marvel actor candidly said-
“I do not like Gwyneth Paltrow. I absolutely adore her like a sister,” he said before adding, “Like a sister that you may’ve made out with a few times..while still liking her.”
During the Goop Podcast in 2020, Gwyneth Paltrow spoke about kissing Robert Downey Jr. for a scene in Iron Man. The actor confessed she felt awkward while kissing him, she said-
“With Robert when I kissed him, and I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. This is literally like kissing my brother,”
While talking about her relationship dynamics with her co-star, the Seven actor explained-
“My relationship with Robert Downey Jr. which was obviously forged through all the Iron Man and Avengers movies. I feel like I was able to find an incredible, lifelong, inspirational partner and friend.”
Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have been significant parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for more than a decade.
With an IMDb rating of 8.4 out of 10, The Avengers is currently available on Disney+ for streaming.
Source: Los Angeles Times / Wired’s/ Goop Podcast
