Box Office: Revisiting theatrical runs of all MCU movies ft. Gwyneth Paltrow as she discovers her involvement in more projects than expected

Gwyneth Paltrow was shocked to learn she starred in seven MCU films. As she processes the surprise, we take a look at how each of her superhero movies performed at the box office.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 21, 2025 | 06:01 PM IST | 2.1K

Picture Courtesy: MCU

Gwyneth Paltrow couldn’t believe it when she was told during a recent interview that she played Pepper Potts in seven MCU films. “That can’t be right,” the actress bluntly said while watching a clip of her best on-screen work yet. Well, we intend to make this article a cure for the Goop founder’s amnesia by revisiting the box office runs of all the superhero films she was a part of. Fingers crossed that it somehow reaches her. Let’s go!

Gwyneth Paltrow’s MCU History: Box Office Performance of Her Superhero Films

Iron Man (2008)

Paltrow was first introduced as Pepper Potts, Tony Stark’s efficient assistant, in this very MCU offering. She helps the titular superhero manage Stark Industries and assists him in defeating Obadiah Stane, marking the beginning of a deeper relationship with him. The movie grossed USD 585 million worldwide, including USD 318 million in domestic earnings and USD 266 million from international markets.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Pepper is promoted to CEO of Stark Industries while Tony deals with his declining health. She eventually helps him in the fight against Ivan Vanko, which earns her the Stark Expo building as a gift. The film raked in USD 623 million globally, with USD 312 million coming from the domestic market and USD 311 million from international territories.

The Avengers (2012)

Pepper appears briefly in the film as Tony’s girlfriend, supporting him as he joins the Avengers to battle Loki and the Chitauri invasion. The film collected USD 1.51 billion worldwide, with USD 623 million in domestic earnings and USD 895 million from international fare.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Pepper gets more screen time here. She is kidnapped by Aldrich Killian and temporarily gains Extremis powers, ultimately killing her abductor herself. She and Tony share an emotional moment as he decides to undergo surgery to remove the shrapnel from his heart. The film’s worldwide gross was USD 1.21 billion, with USD 409 million from the domestic box office and USD 805 million from international markets.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Paltrow revealed in the aforementioned interview that she wasn’t aware of her involvement in Homecoming because the MCU operates like the Secret Service, keeping everything top secret. The actress stated that when she was filming her cameo, she wasn’t told which movie the scene would be used in. Nevertheless, the film made USD 880 million worldwide, with the domestic market contributing USD 334 million and overseas territories providing the rest of the revenue.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Pepper appears in a fleeting scene with Stark, where they discuss their future together. The film’s worldwide box office stands at USD 2.48 billion, including USD 678 million from the domestic market and USD 1.36 billion from overseas.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Pepper plays her most significant role in this MCU offering as she suits up as Rescue alongside the Avengers. She shares an emotional farewell with Tony as he dies after using the Infinity Stones to defeat Thanos.

Paltrow has been open about not having seen many superhero movies, as she finds them immature. She is also not in favor of these movies being super expensive all the time.