Who Is Ironheart? What to Know About Her Debut in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and Her Upcoming Series
Ironheart is making her MCU debut ahead of the release of her self-titled Disney+ series. Marvel fans got their first look at Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, in the first official teaser trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
While Riri built her suit of armor using materials taken from around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) campus in the comics, the teaser trailer shows the young genius greeting Shuri in what appears to be a lab in Wakanda, and seemingly working on her suit. Dominique Thorne—who plays the superhero in the MCU—told IGN at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 that "the scientific prowess that exists in Wakanda is most certainly in line with Riri and her genius."
Before she hits both the big and small screens, here is everything we know about Ironheart and her Disney+ series:
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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Who is playing Ironheart?
Dominique Thorne is portraying Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Ironheart series. Thorne's character is described as a "genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man."
“I was at home in Delaware and I got a call asking if I would like to play this role,” Thorne previously told Empire. “It was the best phone call I could have ever received.”
“I was so shocked, in fact, that there was a considerable lag in the conversation!” she added. “I was waiting for them to say, like, ‘Oh, we’ll send you the sides’, or, ‘Get your tape over to us.’ But there was none of that. It was just like, ‘Would you like to do this?’ It was probably the most unique experience I’ve ever had because there was no audition at all.”
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Are Ironheart and Iron Man the same superhero?
No. Ironheart and Iron Man are two different heroes, albeit in similar suits of armor. Robert Downey Jr. played the latter in the MCU. However, his character died at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
In the comics, Riri was "determined to follow in" Iron Man's heroic footsteps. The teenage super genius reverse-engineered Tony Stark's "Mark-41 design" and put "her own spin on it." Per Marvel, Tony took Riri under his wing and provided her with technology, advice and "guidance via the A.I. program based on his own personality."
Who is MCU Ironheart?
In the MCU, Ironheart is Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne. She is a friend of Shuri and a brilliant inventor who follows in Tony Stark's footsteps to create an armor suit.
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Is Ironheart related to Tony Stark?
Ironheart isn't related to Tony Stark by blood. She does, however, use an AI duplicate of the Stark Industries heir to help create her suit in the comics.
Which MCU Phase is Ironheart in?
The Ironheart series will debut in Phase 5, but Thorne's character will appear in the final title of Phase 4, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
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When is the Ironheart release date?
The series is scheduled to begin streaming in fall 2023.
How to watch Ironheart?
The Marvel Studios show will be available on Disney+.
Who is in the Ironheart cast?
The Ironheart cast includes:
Dominique Thorne as Ironheart
Marvel Studios/Disney
Thorne told Black Film and TV that she's always been a Marvel fan, joking that her mother may have disowned her if she wasn't. "I did know about Ironheart before I was approached with the role," she said. "So it was an awe-inspiring moment to think that I would be chosen to portray this woman and to bring her to the screen in this way."
Anthony Ramos as The Hood/Parker Robbins
Jim Rash as M.I.T. Liaison
Shea Couleé
Alden Ehrenreich
Manny Montana
Cree Summer
Lyric Ross
Harper Anthony
Paul Calderon
Shea Couleé
Regan Aliya
Sonia Denis
Zoe Terakes
Shakira Barrera
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Is there an Ironheart trailer?
There hasn't been a trailer yet for Ironheart. However, after the character makes her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we'll likely know more about the series and her character arc within it. Watch this space!
Is Ironheart on Disney Plus?
Ironheart will stream exclusively on Disney+ in the United States upon its release.
How many episodes is Ironheart?
A full episode count for Ironheart isn't yet known.