Dominique Thorne, Ironheart Marvel
Like most MCU spin-offs, the new Disney+ show Ironheart isn’t a direct adaptation of a specific comic. Instead, it draws material from several different corners of Marvel canon, telling an original story about teen genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), aka Ironheart, a self-made superhero who previously appeared in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Closer to the coming-of-age drama of Ms. Marvel than the Disney+ shows for long-established characters like Hawkeye or Daredevil, this is Riri’s chance to break out as a solo act.
Ironheart made her print debut in 2016, introduced in the Invincible Iron Man comics as a successor to Tony Stark. This was around the same time that Marvel launched Kamala Khan and Miles Morales as immensely popular new versions of Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man, expanding the publisher’s roster of high-profile superheroes. Echoing her predecessor, Riri Williams is a brilliant engineer who builds a robotic super-suit — but as Black teenager from a middle-class background, she offers a relatable contrast to Tony Stark’s billionaire status.
Produced by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and shaped by lead writer Chinaka Hodge (TNT’s Snowpiercer), Ironheart will take Riri Williams in a surprising direction, giving her a more morally ambiguous role, and pairing her up with an obscure magical villain. If you’re curious about how those ideas fit into the MCU — and how this relates to Riri’s comic book origins — look no further. We’ve got you covered!
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What is Ironheart’s backstory in Marvel Comics?
Co-created by prolific Marvel artist Mike Deodato and writer Brian Michael Bendis (who also co-created Jessica Jones and Miles Morales), Riri Williams is a child prodigy, raised by her mom in Chicago. At age 15 she enrolls at MIT, following in the footsteps of her role model, Tony Stark.
Frustrated by the conventional school system due to her genius-level intellect, Riri spends much of her childhood working on ambitious DIY projects in her garage, culminating in her first prototype of the Ironheart armor. And like any superhero worth their salt, her origin story is marked by tragedy. During her early teens, Riri witnesses the violent death of her best friend Natalie, killed during a random shooting at a public park. From here, it’s easy to see why she focused her talents on building a bulletproof suit.
Growing up in a world where superheroes are a part of daily life, it makes sense for Riri to look up to Tony Stark, who reflects both her technological prowess and her drive to succeed. At this point in the Marvel timeline, he’s technically dead, but that doesn’t stop him from becoming Riri’s mentor, appearing in the form of an AI hologram who guides her through her first missions as a superhero. (Needless to say, this won’t be happening in the show, whose budget definitely doesn’t cover a recurring role for Robert Downey Jr.)
For the purposes of enjoying the Disney+ show, there’s no need to get bogged down in all the details of Riri’s various comic book appearances, which include crossover storylines with the Avengers, and an arc where she joins a teen superhero team, the Champions. However, if you want to get to know her, the best place to start is probably her first solo series, Ironheart, by Eve Ewing and Kevin Libranda. While her origin story in Invincible Iron Man is kind of overshadowed by the legacy of Tony Stark, this comic really solidifies her voice and personality as one of Marvel’s new generation of heroes.
Dominique Thorne, Ironheart Marvel
How does Ironheart connect to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man already cast as Tony Stark’s protégé, Riri Williams receives a slightly different (arguably better!) origin story in the MCU.
Echoing the comics, Dominique Thorne’s Riri is still an engineering wunderkind who grew up in Chicago and attends MIT. However, the MCU ages her up from 15 to 19, and instead of emphasizing her connection to Tony Stark, she’s introduced via the Black Panther franchise, attracting the attention of the Wakandan government after she builds a device to detect vibranium. This leads to a team-up with Black Panther‘s resident tech genius, Shuri, who recruits Riri to join Wakanda’s conflict with Namor, the monarch of a secretive underwater kingdom.
Along the way, we learn that Riri has already built herself a flying suit of armor, a secret project that she upgrades with help from Wakandan technology, preparing for the film’s big showdown against Namor.
Despite being a secondary character in Wakanda Forever‘s ensemble cast, Riri’s role tells us a lot about her personality and skill set, positioning her as a confident young woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind or confront powerful foes. She’s a problem-solver, and she’s accustomed to working alone — a combination of traits that have clearly served her well so far but may cause problems when she embarks on solo adventures.
What can we expect from Disney+’s Ironheart?
Taking place after Wakanda Forever, Ironheart will expand our view of Riri’s life, featuring supporting characters like her best friend Natalie (Lyric Ross) and her mom (Anji White). It also departs from the tech-focused tone of her comics, playing into the fantastical themes of recent MCU projects like Agatha All Along and Moon Knight. That’s where the show’s secondary lead comes into play: Parker Robbins (aka The Hood), a magic-wielding character played by Hamilton actor Anthony Ramos.
A lesser-known villain in the comics, The Hood is a gangster who gained supernatural powers by stealing a magical cloak — hence the double meaning of his name. Judging by Ironheart‘s trailer, the MCU version will make an interesting foil for Riri, introducing himself as a potential ally. Anthony Ramos has revealed that the show makes significant changes from Parker Robbins’ comic book origins, relocating him from New York to Chicago, and reimagining him as a kind of outlaw activist, an idea that potentially harks back to Michael B. Jordan’s role as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.
After getting her first taste of superheroism in Wakanda Forever, Riri is now hungry to prove herself. As she puts it, she wants to create something “iconic” on her own terms. The problem is that she doesn’t have the financial backing or government connections of an Avengers-level hero.
When Parker Robbins arrives on the scene, he appeals to her desire for a challenge. “I can give you the tools to help you carry out your vision,” he says in the trailer. “But anyone who’s ever accomplished anything iconic in life has had to do some questionable things to get it done.” Showing up with fistfuls of cash and a couple of gun-toting sidekicks, he likely doesn’t have her best interests at heart.
Intriguingly, Ironheart executive producer Sev Ohanian has teased a morally ambiguous arc for Riri, comparing her to antiheroes like Walter White and Tony Soprano, and saying, “She kind of breaks bad in the show, and we go to some uncomfortable places.”
Reading between the lines, this suggests a story about Parker exploiting Riri’s talents and leading her down a dark path. However, it could also lay the groundwork for a redemption arc, subverting The Hood’s traditional role as a villain as these two characters form an unlikely partnership. Either way, Ironheart sounds like it will play into the moral gray areas of Tony Stark’s legacy, allowing Riri Williams to forge her own identity as a hero.
Ironheart premieres Tuesday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Disney+.
Before the debut of her Disney+ show, brush up on the character’s comic book origins and her history in the MCU. Marvel’s Ironheart premieres June 24 on Disney+. Read More