Ironheart Actor Explains Her MCU Debut in Black Panther 2

Dominique Thorne, who plays Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, explains the specific reasons behind her MCU debut in the latest MCU movie.

Riri Williams aka Ironheart is a character from Marvel Comics. She is introduced as a bright student at MIT who builds an armor similar to Tony Stark’s iconic suit for herself. She is all set to be Iron Man’s replacement in the MCU, after the character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame.

In December 2020, it was announced that Riri Williams would feature in a solo Disney+ series titled Ironheart. Though many expected that she would eventually debut in her solo series, she makes an unexpected appearance in the MCU’s latest theatrical release, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

In an interview with Collider, Dominique Thorne explains why her character is introduced in Black Panther 2 and shares her thoughts about her MCU debut.

The MCU has been avoiding origin stories while introducing their younger generation of superheroes. Riri Williams is introduced in the Black Panther sequel for the same reason. Here’s what Dominique Throne had to say about her MCU debut-

“I think that one of the beautiful things about Riri is that when we meet her both in the comics and on-screen we’re meeting someone in the middle of their day-to-day. We’re sort of getting to peek in at someone’s life in the middle of it. We haven’t really gotten the origin story that we might expect when we hear that a new hero is being introduced. But rather it feels more like a day in the life of this 19-year-old college student who also happened to do something crazy in her spare time and now she kind of has to deal with it. And so I think that when we get to dive into her world in Ironheart, we’re also getting the opportunity to explore who Riri is when the stakes are not quite as exaggerated, but also to see what adventures she might get into when or if she does have to sort of reflect on or contend with the ambitions of hers that got her into that situation in the first place. You know, I don’t think it’s until this moment in Wakanda Forever that we think about why now? Like why on this day are we seeing Riri? Well, on this day, she realizes the potential that her brilliance has.”

Riri Williams’s MCU debut is in tune with the MCU’s latest trend of introducing major characters as supporting characters in their films or shows. Sam Wilson and War Machine are two such MCU supporting characters who will be at the center of focus in upcoming shows and films.

One exception to this rule is Ms. Marvel. The MCU’s teenage superhero was introduced earlier this year in a solo Disney+ series, which sets her up to play a major role in the upcoming MCU release, The Marvels. Ms. Marvel will be heading the project alongside Captain Marvel herself.

Though Riri Williams is introduced in Black Panther 2 itself, we will learn more about her in the upcoming MCU series.

Though on paper Riri Williams is considered to be Iron Man’s successor, there are many differences between the two. In terms of her intelligence and her affinity with technology, she is similar to Iron Man.

However, bearing the burden of being Iron Man’s successor is not an easy task. Tony Stark made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up his life in Avengers: Endgame. Riri Williams must take some time to figure out what sort of superhero she wants to be and whether she wants to follow Iron Man’s path. Hopefully, we will see the teenager deal with these issues in her solo series.

After the conflict is resolved in Wakanda Forever, Riri returns to MIT. However, the tech she builds will definitely lead her back to the world of the MCU.

Ironheart will premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

About Ironheart

Ironheart is an upcoming American television series created by Chinaka Hodge for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the 11th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise.

Hodge serves as head writer. The series is also produced by Proximity Media and 20th Television. Ironheart is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in late 2023, and will consist of six episodes. It will be part of Phase Five of the MCU.

Riri Williams is a 15-year-old engineering student and the daughter of the late Riri Williams Sr.  A certified super-genius, she attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on scholarship. Working alone, Riri designs a suit of armor similar to the Iron Man Armor using material stolen from campus.