It turns out Empire magazine jumped the gun back in February when it had reported that additional filming for Captain America: Civil War would allow Gwyneth Paltrow to return as Virginia “Pepper” Potts in a “small, but key role.” Though this last-minute cast addition was debunked by Lainey Gossip soon after, The Wrap (and anyone else who has already seen Captain America: Civil War) can now confirm that the Oscar-winning actress doesn’t reprise her Iron Man 3 role as the one thing Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark “can’t live without.”
And as Lainey Gossip previously reported, The Wrap further confirmed that Marvel Studios never asked Paltrow to return for the forthcoming Phase Three movie. After all, her multi-picture contract with the studio ended with the third installment of the Iron Man franchise.
So, how did Pepper Potts’ name come about regarding the third Captain America movie? The Wrap goes on to reveal how the character is referenced in Civil War, which further echoes the abovementioned gossip site, but you can read that minor spoiler at the source!
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo and from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability. With an all-star cast that includes Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, with William Hurt, and Martin Freeman, Captain America: Civil War is scheduled for release on May 6, 2016.