Earlier this week, Gwyneth Paltrow announced her final appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be in this April's Avengers: Endgame, ending a more than decade-long comic book movie journey that began with the inaugural MCU film, 2008's Iron Man, where she played Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's personal assistant.
Paltrow would reprise her fan-favorite role for both Iron Man sequels, The Avengers, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War, her character becoming the CEO of Stark Industries and, eventually, Tony Stark's primary love interest.
However, while announcing her exit from the shared cinematic universe, Paltrow may have unintentionally spoiled her role in Endgame, noting that she felt "a bit old to be in a suit and all that" informing her decision to leave her comic book role behind after seven appearances.
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With this offhand comment, Paltrow may have just confirmed rumors that she would don an armored suit herself over the course of the film as the Marvel superhero R.E.S.C.U.E., first introduced in Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca's acclaimed run on The Invincible Iron Man.
This is not the first time the Academy Award-winning actor has seemingly spoiled elements of Endgame months in advance of the film's wide release, letting plot points slip from the especially tightly guarded production.
This past October, what appeared to be a leaked behind the scenes photo from the set of Endgame surfaced online, showing Paltrow taking a selfie while dressed in her own armored costume. While Paltrow didn't post the photo online herself (and the veracity of the image was never confirmed), it did potentially mark a serious spoiler for the upcoming MCU film.
Another major leak was printed in the pages of Marvel Studios' official merchandising book for Avengers: Infinity War this past May, with Paltrow commenting that her character and Tony Stark had subsequently "married, and they have a child." Still engaged and without children during the events of Infinity War, Paltrow's comments potentially spoiled that Endgame does feature a considerable time jump after the cliffhanger ending of the third Avengers film, and confirms rumors that Pepper is indeed pregnant with Tony's child during the events of Infinity War, as the Armored Avenger saw in a dream.
Of course, there remains the possibility that this is all sleight of hand on the part of the film's directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, who employed similar misdirection to keep audiences guessing before the release of Infinity War. It's equally likely, though, that Paltrow just offhandedly spoiled Pepper Potts' role in Endgame on multiple occasions during press tours.
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Paltrow isn't alone, though. Fellow MCU actors Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland have cultivated their own infamous reputations for accidentally spoiling movies before release, from Ruffalo spoiling the ending of Infinity War a full year before its premiere to Holland accidentally revealing his character's fate to a whole audience of unsuspecting theatergoers.
If Paltrow's comments regarding her character in Endgame are proven true, she will join the ranks of her co-stars as MCU actors who have unwittingly dropped major spoilers despite Marvel Studios' best efforts to keep plot points a safely guarded secret.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie. The film arrives on April 26.