Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow has found herself the subject of widespread online ridicule after a revelation about her memory—or lack thereof—concerning her Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars.
The Gala Revelation
The incident came to light during The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 Women in Entertainment breakfast gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Before Paltrow was honoured with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, her long-time colleague and Iron Man co-star, Robert Downey Jr., took to the stage to deliver a tribute.
While praising her, Downey Jr. couldn't resist a playful dig. He described Paltrow as "impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants." He then shared a specific anecdote, recalling a time Paltrow pointed at Tom Holland and asked, "Who's that?"
Downey Jr. claimed he responded, "That’s Spider-Man... His character’s name is Peter. He’s Tom Holland. You’ve done four movies with him." Paltrow, who famously played Pepper Potts, the love interest to Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, had indeed shared the screen with Holland in multiple Marvel films.
Social Media Erupts
Once Downey Jr.'s quote circulated on social media platform X, fans were quick to react with a mixture of disbelief and humour. The consensus was that the lapse was perfectly on-brand for the Goop founder.
Key fan reactions included:
- "Gwyneth living in her own cinematic universe and honestly I respect it."
- "Gwyneth really said 'its my world and I'm the only character in it.'"
- "Gwyneth Paltrow asking who Tom Holland is after four movies together is the most Gwyneth Paltrow thing ever."
- "It’s surprising how disconnected some actors are from their own franchises."
Many questioned whether it was a genuine memory issue or a subtle act of dismissal, while others simply found the idea of her treating the globally famous Spider-Man actor like a background extra endlessly amusing.
A History of Marvel Confusion
This is not the first time Paltrow's recollection of her Marvel work has been called into question. Back in 2019, she made headlines during an appearance on The Chef Show with Jon Favreau, who played Happy Hogan in the films.
When Favreau mentioned their scene together in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Paltrow was baffled, insisting, "We're weren't in Spider-Man... No, I was in Avengers. What?" After Favreau jogged her memory about the scene where he gives her the engagement ring, she laughed and exclaimed, "Oh yes! That was Spider-Man? Oh my god!"
Tom Holland later admitted that this forgetfulness "broke his heart." Paltrow later defended the blunder on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, calling it embarrassing and blaming the interconnected nature of the Marvel universe. "I just got confused," she said. "There's so many of these wonderful Marvel interconnecting movies, and I thought that it was an Avengers movie, but it was not."
She further confessed to Elle magazine, "I never read stuff. But it is confusing because there are so many Marvel movies, and to be honest, I haven't seen very many of them." She concluded by attributing it to her busy life as a mother, stating, "It’s really stupid and I’m sorry, but I’m a 47-year-old mother."
The latest incident at the prestigious gala has cemented Paltrow's reputation for a charming, if somewhat bewildering, detachment from the blockbuster franchise that made her a household name to a new generation of fans.
