The state of superhero movies has been weighed in on by one Iron Man star who suggests that the industry can only make so many good ones.

With 2023 being a substandard year for both the MCU and DCEU, one Iron Man star has given their opinion on the state of the genre, stating that “you can only make so many good ones.” Between the critical failure of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the commercial failure of The Marvels, 2023 helped propagate the idea that Marvel is not as unassailable as it once was. This has resulted in the studio pulling back on its output, aiming for quality over quantity in future releases to help reignite faith in the franchise and recuperate the losses of 2023.

Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Pepper Potts in the MCU, suggested that part of the problem with superhero movies and the fatigue surrounding the genre stems from their big budgets discouraging risks and creativity in an appearance on the Hot Ones YouTube channel. This is in contrast to the mid-budget movies for which the actor was previously known, which had comparatively less financial incentive to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. The comments underline a sense of ennui that the lackluster box office performance of The Marvels indicates in casual audiences.

“I think if I look at the industry as a whole, this sort of big push into superhero movies, I mean, you can only make so many good ones that feel truly original, and yet they’re still always trying to reach as many people as possible, which sometimes hinders quality or specificity or real point of view…I do think that you get more diversity of art when there’s less at stake and people can sort of express their true voice and make a film the way they wanna make it, and then I think those are generally the more resonant ones.”

The full timestamped comments can be viewed below:

Will Gwyneth Paltrow Return In The MCU After Iron Man’s Death

Pepper Potts Was Last Seen In Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame teased a potential return for Pepper Potts, as she was seen wearing one of Iron Man’s suits of armor, a reference to the Rescue armor that she dons in the comics. With her now also being Morgan Stark’s only surviving parent, it stands to reason that Paltrow’s Potts may return in a future MCU installment, as she and Morgan comprise a very real part of Tony Stark’s legacy. Add to that the fact that Potts returning in Stark’s absence would strengthen her character’s individual arc, and there is a convincing case for Potts’ eventual MCU return.

Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken a few times about whether she would return to the role, and while she has declared herself to be at least partially retired from acting, she has expressed willingness to revisit Pepper in a cameo capacity. If Marvel does decide to call on Paltrow, it would most likely be to contribute to Armor Wars, for which only Don Cheadle’s War Machine has been confirmed to return. Story details for the upcoming MCU movie are still scarce, but will likely center around Tony Stark’s legacy and everyone in its orbit, including Pepper Potts.