Robert Downey Jr has lovingly teased his former Iron Man co-star Gwyneth Paltrow for her persistent confusion over the “basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Paltrow, 53, who starred as Downey Jr’s on-screen lover Pepper Potts in seven MCU films, was honoured on Wednesday at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment breakfast gala with the 20th annual Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.
The Oscar-winning Oppenheimer actor, 60, presented the Goop founder with the award. Before a heartfelt speech, Downey Jr playfully roasted Paltrow for being “impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants.”
He recalled Paltrow once asking “Who’s that?” about Tom Holland, to which he replied: “That’s Spider-Man. He said his name was Peter. His character’s name is Peter. He’s Tom Holland. You’ve done four movies with him.”
Downey Jr praised Paltrow’s work ethic, noting she built Goop between takes on the set of Iron Man. He also lauded her recent performance in Marty Supreme and defended her “polarising public persona.”
Accepting the award, Paltrow gave an emotional speech, thanking the community for welcoming her through all her iterations.
