Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts has been a quietly competent background figure in the MCU ever since it began with 2008’s Iron Man. Still, her presence has been notably dialed down over the years, with her appearances in The Avengers, Infinity War and Spider-Man: Homecoming amounting to little more than cameos. Now, we’re hearing that she might appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home alongside Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan, and while this might seem like a relatively innocuous bit of news, it could indicate some very bad things for Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark.
After all, Pepper knows that Tony and Peter have a strong relationship with one another and assisted him with using Stark technology to create his suit and gadgets. If, for example, Iron Man heroically kicks the bucket in Avengers 4, wouldn’t it make sense for the pair to speak with each other about how much his loss means to them both and what their relationship will be like going forward? And who better to be her bodyguard than Tony’s best friend, Happy Hogan? Maybe Pepper will even show up with Stark’s child, too?
This all follows on from a leak that said Pepper Potts will be suiting up in Avengers 4 as Rescue, her armored alter-ego from the comics. Last December, she shared two quickly deleted Instagram pictures showing her relaxing in her hotel room wearing a distinctive mocap suit in the same style as the one Robert Downey Jr. dons on set. If Stark does die during Avengers 4, it’d make sense for Potts to step up to the plate and join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and do some genuine avenging of her own, right?
Admittedly, I’ve been predicting Stark’s death ever since they announced Infinity War, but this time, it feels a bit more plausible than before. Especially with Pepper now rumored for Spider-Man: Far From Home.