Tom Holland has jokingly commented on Gwyneth Paltrow forgetting that she appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After making a dramatic entrance in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland's iteration of the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man swung into his first solo movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. Keen to avoid the same backstory that Sony had previously used with both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Marvel Studios removed the Uncle Ben character from the Homecoming equation and instead made Tony Stark Spidey's father figure, mentoring the young crime-fighter in the ways of being a superhero and building him a less home-made looking outfit.
With Iron Man a key part of the new Spider-Man's story, Gwyneth Paltrow was drafted in for a brief appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, reprising her role as Pepper Potts from the Iron Man movies. The casting marked Paltrow's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after last featuring in 2013's Iron Man 3, but the actress recently forgot all about it. While taking part in Jon Favreau's new Netflix cooking show (is there anything that man can't do), Paltrow was asked by her host about the time they appeared together in Spider-Man: Homecoming. When Paltrow couldn't remember the experience, Favreau described the scene, to which Paltrow responded, "That was Spider-Man?"
Tom Holland and his co-stars are currently in the middle of promoting Homecoming follow-up, Spider-Man: Far From Home and while being quizzed alongside his co-stars on Popsugar, the actor couldn't resist a cheeky comment on both Paltrow's forgetfulness, and the time she referred to him as "that other guy" on Instagram. Holland jokes:
"I've only worked with Gwyneth one time on Spider-Man: Homecoming but she doesn't remember, which still to this day breaks my heart [laughs]. Actually, no, that's not true. One time, when we were shooting Avengers: Endgame...she came up and asked me for a photo with me and Robert [Downey Jr.] and then I think she posted it and she said 'Robert Downey Jr., myself and this guy.' ...I was just the guy."
At this point in the conversation, Holland's co-star, Zendaya, chimes in with, "Meaning 'I've forgotten his name' [laughs]"
Evidently, Holland has taken Paltrow's gaffe in typically good humor, with the English actor known for his grounded personality and eye for a joke, as evidenced by his friendship with Chris Hemsworth. The Spider-Man role has catapulted Holland's career into the stratosphere and suddenly rubbing shoulders with Hollywood's biggest stars can be a daunting prospect for some, especially when they can't remember your name or acting with you in a film.
Since Paltrow's slip-up came to light, some have suggested that the actress not being able to remember appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming is a sign that she isn't particularly invested in her MCU character. Certainly, prior to Potts' stint against Thanos, it appeared that Paltrow was finished with the franchise. However, the mistake is perhaps more indicative of Marvel Studios' inner workings, where talent can often be working on several movies with the same character at one time. For example, Brie Larson was doing screen tests for her Captain Marvel solo movie on the set of Avengers: Endgame.
With such a fluid method of working, it's perhaps unsurprising that when actors return to the MCU for a brief appearance after a period away, they're not always completely clear what movie the scene is going to turn up in, as was the case with Gwyneth Paltrow and her turn in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Source: Popsugar, Gwyneth Paltrow