Dominique Thorne Returns to the MCU in Ironheart
Ironheart premieres June 24 on Disney+.
Rev up those engines! Marvel’s miniseries Ironheart is finally here. And fronting the miniseries is Dominique Thorne reprising her role Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) as inventor Riri Williams/Ironheart.
And she not disappoint.
Following the events of the Black Panther sequel, RiRi navigates her own set of challenges when returning to her hometown of Chicago including crossing paths with Parker/The Hood, discovering secrets that are caught between tech and magic leading to a whirlwind of an adventure.
Read on to find out more below.
Who Is Ironheart?
In Marvel comics, Riri Williams is a 15-year old genius, attending MIT on a scholarship. As she attends the school, she works on a project to make an Iron Man inspired suit that she creates without the help of the billionaire, Tony Stark, initially.
After Stark hears of her Iron Man inspired suit, he decides to help fund her project, giving her similar abilities as him, but with a different suit. As she tackles her life at school in Boston, and her personal life in Chicago, Riri faces her own challenges and villains, while grieving the loss of her best friend, Natalie, and her stepfather, Gary.
Since her introduction in 2016, Ironheart has paired with the likes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Sam Wilson’s Falcon, and even joining the Young Avengers.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Riri Williams is a 19-year old woman that still attends MIT, with her family residing in Chicago.
She was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where one of her projects catches the interest of the US government, Wakanda, and the secret underwater country of Talokan.
After her project for a Vibranium Detector was used by the US government successfully, Riri is forced to team up with the country of Wakanda, and the new Black Panther, so she can escape Namor, the leader of Talokan, who wants her dead.
While in Wakanda, Riri becomes close with Shuri, resonating with her about being “Young, gifted and black,” as she would put it. With the help of her new best friend, and Vibranoum tech, she was able to build a suit that she could only dream of, and faces the people of Talokan head on in the final fight of the film.
When she went back to MIT, she was unable to bring her suit back, however, forcing her to create her own suit from memory back in Boston.
What to Expect from Ironheart
After her first appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans didn’t need to wonder where we would see Riri next, since her show on Disney+ was announced the same time her introduction was announced in December 2020.
Although Black Panther’s sequel premiered on November 11th, 2022, Ironheart faced delays, as Marvel worked on their “scaled back” approach. Unfortunately, Ironheart was a victim of this, but, we finally have the first three episodes ready to watch!
As of writing this article, Ironheart has yet to release the back half of their show, but here’s what we know so far.
After dealing with the super enhanced underwater civilization of Talokan, Riri goes back to her normal life at MIT in Boston, where she successfully attempts to build a new Ironheart suit. However, because of her exchanging inventions with other students for money, she gets expelled from the university, taking her iron suit with her back to Chicago.
While there, she must face her past head on, dealing with the death of her stepsister, Natalie, and her stepfather, Gary, all while facing a criminal group of individuals that are lead by a man named Parker Robbins who possesses superhuman abilities because of the hood that he wears.
Now that we’re in the back half of the series, fans are wondering what will happen with Riri as he learns more about Parker, creating an AI that resembles her stepsister, and becoming an “iconic” superhero in her own right.
Ironheart’s Cultural Impact
Even though Ironheart may be receiving some of the lowest views from a Marvel Television project, this does not mean the show isn’t great in its own right. Marvel fatigue has been a thing for a while, and this is due to Marvel releasing multiple projects at the same time, creating a very convoluted timeline with a lot of characters that regular fans have to follow to understand the overarching narrative of their universe.
However, despite its views being “the lowest in Marvel Television history,” by some sources, the show it is still currently the #1 most-streamed show right now on Disney+.
The show has its own uphill battles, however, with proper bombing the show even before it came out. The show received a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, just hours before the show even premiered. Even though the show may not compare to the likes of WandaVision or Loki, Ironheart still should get its day in the sun!
The show is a great representation of an all black cast going through their lives and experiencing life in a semi-realistic way… as realistic as a superhero-esque show can be.
Ironheart features a star studded cast in Dominique Thorne as the titular character, inspiring young back girls to chase their dreams no matter how far they might seem. With Riri Williams being a young black women in STEM, it is importajt to have this kind of representation in media, now more than ever.
The show also represents grief in an interesting way, with Lyric Ross’ character, Natalie Washington, becoming an AI model that Riri accidentally creates while thinking of her deceased stepsister.
Anthony Ramos, known most notably for his roles in Hamilton, In the Heights and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, compliments Thorne’s portrayal as she tries to figure out his mysterious background.
The show also features drag performer, Shea Coulée, as she portrays the intelligent and fierce hacker, Slug. She is affiliated with Robbins’ group of criminals who take from larger corporations in exchange for money. But even though she may be in the bad side of crime, you can’t help but keep an eye on her as you watch.
And, for all you long time Marvel fans, Alden Ehrenrich portrays a character named Joe McGillicuddy, who may share a parental lineage that derives all the way back from the very beginning of the MCU.
All in all, if you’re looking for more black media in your life, and you’re into the superhero genre, Ironheart is worth the watch.
Ironheart Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re unfamiliar with Ironheart, or you’re someone that may have already watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and wants to know more about Riri, here are some answers to some questions you may have before watching the show…
Is Ironheart Related to Iron Man?
No, Ironheart is not related to Iron Man at all. The only connection she has with Iron Man, both in the comics and the MCU, is the fact that Stark has funded her projects at MIT, giving her the inspiration to build an Iron suit of her own.
Is Ironheart LGBTQ?
In the comics, Vision’s daughter, Viv develops a crush on Riri, but she doesn’t feel the same way as her. In the show, however, there is a scene where Riri’s mother, Ronnie, knocks on her bedroom and asks if she has a boy or a girl in her room. So, while her comic counterpart might not be, her MCU version might be…
Is Ironheart Replacing Iron Man?
While Iron Man may be dead, Riri Williams might not be outright replacing Tony Stark. While she might be as intelligent as the deceased self-proclaimed genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, Riri has her own struggles she faces, with her suit looking and feeling different than the once head of the franchise.
Why is Riri Called Ironheart?
Riri gets the name Ironheart in the comics by a suggestion by the AI version of Tony Stark. In the MCU, the name Ironheart hasn’t been heard yet. While she may still be just Riri Williams as of the first three episodes, some assume her name might come from the crew she works with, since they all have codenames as well. But, the verdict is still out!
Ironheart launches exclusively on Disney+ June 24.