Gwyneth Paltrow joining ‘Iron Man’ cast
Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow has joined the cast of “Iron Man,” a Marvel Comics superhero movie starring Robert Downey Jr.
Downey plays the armor-clad title character and his alter ego, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark. Terrence Howard will play Stark’s best friend Rhodey.
Paltrow will play Stark’s personal assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts, one of the few people in Stark’s life who can go toe-to-toe with him and who occasionally serves as his conscience. The pair also share a secret attraction to each other.
“Her representatives let us know that she wanted to do a movie like this,” said Kevin Feige, Marvel’s president of production. “A few phone calls later from all parties involved, and over the weekend it happened.”
Jon Favreau is directing the movie, which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Production is scheduled to begin in March in Los Angeles.
Paltrow, who won an Oscar for her work in “Shakespeare in Love,” most recently appeared in “Running With Scissors.”
