Robert Downey Jr has revealed that his dear friend and co-star, Gwyneth Paltrow, was “forever confused” by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As the duo reunited at The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 Women in Entertainment breakfast gala on Wednesday (3 December), Downey Jr took to the stage, where he delivered a heartfelt speech about Paltrow, as she prepared to accept the 20th annual Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.
Praising the Goop founder, who famously portrayed Pepper Potts in seven Marvel movies, Downey Jr called Paltrow “impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants” (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Recalling a hilarious exchange between them, Downey Jr noted that Paltrow once asked, “Who’s that?” to which he responded, “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.”
As he continued to commend Paltrow, the Tony Stark actor reflected on her “polarising public persona”, quipping that polarising is “a word used by dingbats to falsely describe powerful women who demonstrate decades of irrefutable relevance and reinvention.”
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Concluding his speech, Downey Jr raved: “It’s time to recognise … Gwyneth fuggin’ Paltrow.”
Downey Jr and Paltrow, who have been friends for over 15 years, after joining the cast of 2008’s Iron Man, have spoken about their sweet bond in numerous interviews. As she arrived at the Women in Entertainment breakfast gala this week, Paltrow was asked by Entertainment Tonight what it meant to have Downey Jr presenting the Leadership Award to her.
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“I’m sure he’ll complain about it by the way,” she joked about the earlier start to his day. “It feels amazing, he’s truly like a brother to me. He knows me so well. We’re like family, I adore him and he’s such an inspiring artist. I can’t believe he’s coming all the way from Malibu to give [it to] me.”
Echoing this sentiment when she accepted her award, Paltrow later told Downey Jr: “Robert, I love you so much. You are the older brother I never had and wasn’t sure I wanted, but I’m so grateful to you for being the best partner on screen — for always being the most honest and brilliant reflection back, not just about me but about us, our families and the world.”
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Megan is a freelance news reporter for Digital Spy.