'Iron Man' Fan-Favorite Is Officially Returning to the MCU

From the time we first met her in Iron Man (2008), it was clear that Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) was the only woman for Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.).

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Paltrow reprised her role as the billionaire’s leading lady in Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

The final film in the Infinity Saga saw Potts and her daughter devastated by the loss of Stark, who sacrificed himself to help defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin).

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Now, however, Potts is making her MCU return in Marvel Studios’ first animated series, What If…?. The show reimagines key Marvel Cinematic Universe moments in new ways — and it might have more of an impact on the future of the Marvel Multiverse than we first thought.

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A recast version of Iron Man appeared in the first half of What If…? Season 1, and now, thanks to the mid-season trailer, we’ve gotten our first look at Pepper Potts’s return to the MCU.

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In the brief clip, it appears that Potts has teamed up with Shuri (Leticia Wright) and Wakanda’s Dora Milaje warriors against a common foe.

Although Paltrow has not been confirmed to return to voice Potts in What If…?, a number of other Marvel Cinematic Universe stars did lend their voice talents to the animated series, including Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/the Hulk), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter/Captain Carter), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Michael Douglas (Dr. Hank Pym), Michael B. Jordan (Erik “Killmonger” Stevens), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier), and late actor Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther).

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The official description of Marvel’s What If…? reads:

What If…? flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Coming to Disney+ in Summer 2021, Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles. The series is directed by Bryan Andrews; Ashley Bradley is head writer.

You can watch the full What If…? mid-season sneak peek below:

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Have you been watching What If…?

You can stream Black Widow and the three series in Marvel’s Phase 4 so far — Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany’s WandaVision, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki — on Disney+ anytime.