Does Gwyneth Paltrow Voice Pepper Potts In What If...? Episode 6?
As with several other "What If...?" installments, Episode 6 of the animated series featured more than a handful of famous MCU characters. The episode centered around Killmonger, but the twist on this story saw the villain save Tony Stark from capture in Afghanistan all those years ago. Other characters who appear include Colonel James Rhodes, T'Challa, Pepper Potts, Shuri, King T'Chaka, and Queen Ramonda. Some smaller players also popped up, including Ulysses Klaue, Obadiah Stane, and Happy Hogan.
Fans of the MCU likely recognized the famous voices behind the animated characters. Many stars from the universe returned to reprise the characters they made famous in live-action films. Michael B. Jordan voiced Killmonger, while Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett, and Andy Serkis all participated, making the episode feel much more authentic.
Some viewers probably noticed some of the voices seemed a little bit off in Episode 6, however. Obadiah, Shuri, and Tony were not voiced by their original actors, and their scenes might have sounded unusual at times. But what about Pepper Potts? Did Gwyneth Paltrow return to voice the famous redhead in "What If...?" Episode 6?
Pepper Potts sounded different in What If...? Episode 6
Pepper Potts plays a small but significant role in Episode 6 of "What If...?" She is one of the only people who question Killmonger's true intentions and comes together with Shuri at the episode's conclusion, where the viewers are led to assume they will take the villain down. If you found yourself questioning if this was Gwyneth Paltrow voicing Pepper throughout the episode, you weren't alone. Unfortunately, the actress did not voice Tony's beloved assistant in Episode 6. Pepper was voiced by actress Beth Hoyt, whose résumé is primarily full of shorts and one-offs (via IMDb).
It's no surprise that Paltrow didn't return to voice Pepper for one episode of the series. The actress has famously stepped away from acting and revealed to Harper's Bazaar in 2020 that she would "literally never" appear on screen again. While voicing an animated character isn't technically acting in its traditional sense, it's understandable why she didn't return. Recording a few lines for an animated series likely wasn't at the top of her to-do list, and we can't say we blame her.