Image: The Mary Sue
Forget Iron Man—it looks like Avengers 4 will be getting an Iron Woman.
Rumors are raging online about Pepper Potts, who may get her own arc-reactor-powered armor in the upcoming Avengers film. A leaked photo seems to confirm the idea that Tony Stark’s fiancé will come to the aid of the Avengers, showing actress Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a high-necked, purple metallic suit in front of a green screen.
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Fans have been through quite the roller coaster ride in terms of Pepper Pott’s role in the MCU over the past 10 years. We saw her and Tony move from their employer-employee relationship in the original Iron Man to a happy (albeit dysfunctional) couple; we witnessed their depressing split by the Civil War era, a result of Tony’s return to his Iron Man escapades; and their reunion and engagement in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War.
Discussing Potts’ character back before Iron Man 3, Marvel CEO Kevin Feige hinted at Potts joining the fight. He says they were “bored by the damsel in distress,” and noted that Potts does become a hero named Rescue in the comics. “Will we do that down the line with Gwyneth Paltrow? Who knows,” he said. “But her being in the suit is something we have been playing with since Iron Man 2 …”
It is worth noting that Potts has been in the Iron man suit before, but not in combat. She donned the metallic AI-enhanced super suit for protection during Iron Man 3, when she and Tony were under attack in their home.
It will be exciting for “Pepperony” shippers and all Marvel fans to see Potts transition from the role of concerned girlfriend to female action hero. Avengers 4 may also be the final film in which fans see the couple together, as it is rumored to be Robert Downy Jr.’s last appearance as Iron Man.
h/t: Comicbook.com