Iron Man 3 is loving the slow release of its new character posters, isn’t it? And today comes the turn of Pepper Potts, lover and business bonk buddy of the billionaire philanthropist playboy.

So far, we’ve definitely been getting an ominous bad-things-are-going-to-happen-to-Tony-Stark vibe from all of the press materials Marvel have released so far. Pepper Potts’ very own poster is no exception. With Gwyneth Paltrow tenderly cradling the head of Robert Downey Jr’s superhero (okay, fine. His helmet, at least…), it seems a cert that Iron Man 3 is going to be just a touch darker than the previous installments of the trilogy.

There’s a deep gash down the front of the fallen Iron Man’s disembodied head, not to mention plenty of sparks (of the non-metaphorical kind) flying around. Then again, there seems to be a slight smile tugging at the corners of Gwyneth’s mouth – perhaps not all is as bleak as it may at first appear? Or, you know, perhaps the vegan actress misconstrued her director’s advice completely…

Click the poster below for a closer look at this brand-new Iron Man 3 poster and have a go wading through all of that subtext for yourselves!

Do those still-glowing eyes send a shiver down your spine? We can’t wait to see what it all means when the film is released on April 26!