Jon Favreau has revealed that he used Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow’s real-life bickering to inspire the conversations between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts in Iron Man.
During an interview with People, the director explained how he knew the dynamic between the two stars would translate perfectly into their on-screen characters, and he made the most of it by taking notes and incorporating it into the dialogue between them in the movie. He said:
"I was a very good student where I would take notes as they would talk, and whether it was improvising or even just talking about the scene, I would write stuff down that they would say. [One time] we were reading the script, and it said, 'This looks like Jackson Pollock's spring period.' And then she corrected us in rehearsal. She says, 'No, it's actually The Springs period. The Springs is the part of the Hamptons where Jackson Pollock lived and worked, not spring, not the season.'
So I wrote down every word, and she's correcting him in the movie when he says, 'the spring period.' So it just adds to their sort of nippy banter. I find it thoroughly compelling and entertaining to watch the two of them on screen together because they had this banter that has an edge to it."
Favreau added:
Iron Man Proved the Perfect Movie to Start the MCU
Although recent years have proven tricky for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, back in 2008 no one had any idea what a little comic book movie called Iron Man was going to become.
The film’s production was one that would essentially lay the foundation for the MCU’s mix of action, comedy, and heart. While there were some who were dubious over Downey Jr.’s ability to lead such a movie, the casting of the film was impeccable, and the chemistry between the former outcast of Hollywood and his costars, including Paltrow, helped to sell the new generation of Marvel movies to cinema audiences around the world.
With Iron Man now a distant memory, Downey Jr. has seemingly left the MCU behind for good. Whether Paltrow will return again in the next few years is unclear, as her character is still alive in the Marvel continuity, and the actress herself has expressed an interest in making a future appearance. For now, her last appearance was at the funeral of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame.
