Robert Downey Jr. Hints at Surprise MCU Comeback in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

Robert Downey Jr. has been making headlines while promoting Avengers: Doomsday, and now fans think he may have dropped a big hint about a familiar face returning to the MCU.

The buzz started after Downey was spotted out in Chicago with none other than Gwyneth Paltrow.

According to Secret Chicago, the two actors were seen having lunch together at TenGoku Aburiya, a MICHELIN-recognized Japanese restaurant that’s popular with celebrities.

"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

Staff from the restaurant shared that the co-stars enjoyed sushi, bento boxes, and karaage gyoza from the izakaya-style menu.

Of course, it’s possible they were just catching up as friends, but the timing has fueled rumors that Paltrow might once again step back into the role of Pepper Potts.

As of now, Marvel has not confirmed her involvement in Avengers: Doomsday, but the speculation is strong.

This isn’t the first time her name has come up recently in connection to the MCU. In April, industry insider @MyTimeToShineH claimed that Paltrow was in talks to return, though it wasn’t clear which project it would be for.

Just a month earlier, she addressed the topic herself on Instagram when a fan asked if she was coming back. As Deadline reported, Paltrow responded directly to the question, though she didn’t give a definite yes or no.

Paltrow first stepped into the MCU back in 2008 as Pepper Potts in Iron Man. Over the next decade, she appeared in several major Marvel titles, including The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Infinity War, and finally Endgame, where her character said goodbye to Tony Stark after his death. That film marked her last official appearance.

Now with Downey Jr. returning to the MCU in Doomsday under the new mantle of Doctor Doom, while still connected to Tony Stark, fans are eager to know if Pepper Potts will be part of the story again. Nothing is official yet, but the buzz around their Chicago reunion has only made people talk more.

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