Gwyneth Paltrow is set to make her first non-MCU film appearance in a decade, appearing in Josh Safdie’s upcoming ping pong drama, Marty Supreme.
Gwyneth Paltrow hasn’t sought out many roles in the last decade, preferring instead to occasionally pop up as Pepper Potts in a Marvel film, or just focus on her lifestyle brand, Goop. Despite being one of the biggest female stars in Hollywood at one point, Paltrow has been absent from our screens for almost a decade – with the exception of those rare Marvel appearances.
However, it looks like Paltrow has been tempted back to work by the prospect of working with a filmmaker and a star who are both on the rise. Josh Safdie is working on his first solo film following a couple of critically-acclaimed movies that he co-directed with his brother, Benny. 2017’s Good Times and 2019’s Uncut Gems are both thrilling treats and Safdie has turned his attention to a ping pong biopic for his next feature.
Marty Supreme is based on the life of Marty Reisman, a legendary champion of the sport. Reisman, who died in 2012, ‘was a table tennis champion who started his career as a hustler in Manhattan, playing for bets and prize money,. He won 22 major ping pong titles from 1946 to 2002 and won five bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships. At 67, he competed in the United States National Hardbat Championship and became the oldest player to win an open national competition in a racket sport.’
News of Paltrow’s casting in Marty Supreme comes to via World Of Reel. There’s no word yet as to who Paltrow will be playing but her return to acting will certainly generate some buzz. As one of the most sought after stars of the 1990s, Paltrow memorably won an Oscar for Shakespeare In Love whilst also successfully featuring in all kinds of genres, from comedy to serious dramas. Paltrow’s last role outside of her regular Marvel appearances (which are often little more than cameos) was in 2015’s Mortdecai, alongside Johnny Depp.
With the greatest respect to those Marvel films, they haven’t really challenged Paltrow as an actor in the last decade, so we’re looking forward to seeing her appear in a role that asks more of her. After all, this is the same star who was incredible in films such as The Royal Tenenbaums, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Contagion, Emma and plenty of other films. It’s a surprising casting announcement, but a welcome one.
There’s no release date for Marty Supreme yet, but when we hear more, we’ll let you know.
