2023 Phase Zero MCU Preview: Ironheart
Ironheart had her big MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and now she's ready for her solo adventure on Disney+. Riri Williams was a delightful part of that movie and fans are wondering what to expect form the show. Basically, Ironheart will see the young engineer back in school at MIT. But, due to the plot of the Black Panther sequel, she doesn't have her armor or the hopped up version she got from the Wakandans in that project. So, how will she make her way in the world and how does it figure into Anthony Ramos' MCU debut as The Hood? Could there be a spooky guest star that everyone's waiting to see? Let's find out!
Links to the podcast episode for downloading and subscribing can be found right here:
The Cast:
Of course, Thorne is back in the title role as Riri Williams, but she's facing off against Ramos' The Hood. For fans of This Is Us, Lyric Ross will be a sight for sore eyes as Ironheart's best friend. However, there's no word on if she's playing Natalie from the comics yet. (That storyline could get very dicey as the girl dies and she becomes the A.I. in Riri's suit…) Deadline also reported that Manny Montana has a role as a series regular.
Alden Ehrenreich is here for the part too along with Zoe Terakes and Shakira Barrera. (GLOW hive rise up!) Jim Rash is back to provide a face for MIT as he did in Civil War. But, the cast announcements that have had online spectators raising their eyebrows the highest have been Shea Couleé from Ru Paul's Drag Race and Regan Aliyah. It's not a production if Cree Summer isn't involved somehow and Rashida Olayiwola, Sonia Denis, and Paul Calderón is also here for the fun.
Required Watching Heading In:
Ironheart's debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes without saying. Other than that, you're probably going to be good.
Required Reading:
Ironheart's self titled book from 2018 might be great to look at in this spot. If you're as restless for Young Avengers as the rest of us, We Are The Champions also stands out for a preview of the awesome group dynamic waiting for the MCU. Although we had elements of this in Wakanda Forever, Invincible Iron Man #9 from 2015 is her first true appearance in Marvel Comics. The same title in 2016 saw her step into the Ironheart mantle after the events of Civil War II.
Rumors:
Oh man, well… Let's just do this. A number of trade reports have indicated that Sacha Baron Cohen is on track to appear as Mephisto in this project. Nothing has been confirmed by Marvel Studios just yet. But, it would be amazing to see the Borat actor in that role. Working with The Hood as a villain makes a ton of sense if magic and mysticism are going to be large parts of the Ironheart series. So, we'll all have to wait and see what happens going forward.
Another question that stems from Ironheart would be how it connects to Armor Wars. With Tony Stark's legacy being at the heart of that movie, it makes sense that Riri would play some kind of role along with Rhodey. Considering her very quick admission about Iron Man in Wakanda Forever, fans should be expecting some other shoe to drop before the show ends. (Also, there's always room for an Incursion or two on the road to Kang Dynasty.)
How excited are you for Ironheart's big show? Let us know what you think down in the comments!
0comments