Did Robert Downey Jr Just Tease Another MCU Star’s Return in Avengers: Doomsday?

Robert Downey Jr. has been doing an epic job promoting Avengers: Doomsday so far, and recently, he appears to have teased yet another MCU star’s return in the flick: Gwyneth Paltrow. This comes after the pair was spotted dining at one of Chicago’s best Japanese restaurants.

Per Secret Chicago, the two were seen having lunch at MICHELIN-recognized TenGoku Aburiya, which is a favorite place among celebrities as well. Plus, for those itching to know, the co-stars ordered a selection of items from the restaurant’s izakaya-style menu, including an assortment of sushi, bento boxes, and karaage gyoza (as per the TenGoku Aburiya team).

"Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow Spotted at One of Chicago’s Best Japanese Restaurants—Here’s What to Know" EXCUSE MEEEE pic.twitter.com/7jAhCVPsJU

— ⎊ Alice ⎊ (@Alyss_) September 6, 2025

While, of course, it could be that the two just reunited to have a friendly dinner, this turn of events has sparked speculation that Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts could be returning in Doomsday as well. However, she hasn’t been officially confirmed to be on the cast list as of yet, so nothing can be said for sure for now.

Before Robert Downey Jr’s Teasing, Gwyneth Paltrow Was Rumored to Return in the MCU

Earlier this year, in April, Gwyneth Paltrow was reported to be in talks to repr ise her role for an upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project. While this scoop came from industry insider @MyTimeToShineH on X, the exact piece in which she could possibly return as Pepper Potts was not revealed.

It’s also worth noting that in March, the Goop queen took to her own Instagram handle to address some fan questions regarding her Marvel return. Answering a follower who asked her to be honest about whether she was “coming back to the MCU”, she replied (via Deadline),

After first debuting as Tony Stark’s personal assistant and love interest, Pepper, in 2008’s Iron Man, Paltrow had a successful run as the character for more than a decade.

She went on to reprise her role for multiple more pieces, including Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Her last appearance as the character was notably in the last-released Avengers installment, which concluded with her mourning Tony’s death.

Well, her return might not be confirmed for now, but the fan-buzz surrounding Paltrow’s Potts’ return in Doomsday is still immense, especially now that RDJ will be donning the new moniker of Doctor Doom while keeping on the face of Tony Stark.

The Cast of Avengers: Doomsday: Rumored and Confirmed

Marvel officially announced the cast of Avengers: Doomsday a few months back, and there are quite a few names on the list.

This includes confirmed and rumored characters from numerous of the subverses in the respective franchise, including from The Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America: Brave New World, X-Men, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Loki, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Captain America.

As of this writing, 27 actors have officially been confirmed to appear in Doomsday. That said, here’s a list of every actor and character who’s returning, along with the respective sub-universes in the MCU from which they will be joining.

Besides these, numerous other actors have also been reported to return to the lore, though Marvel has yet to officially confirm their involvement. These stars are only rumored, as of now, irrespective of how high their chances of return may seem. Here’s a list of the same, along with their respective sub-universes in the MCU and the sources claiming their return.

So far, the star-studded ensemble seems to be lit for this upcoming installment in the Avengers film series, though it remains to be seen just how Marvel intends to fit all of these characters in the multiversal film.

Either way, the hype is still high around the flick, so it would be interesting to see how this turns out to be for the multi-billionaire universe! Don’t you agree?

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit the screens on December 18, 2026.