Ironheart: Anthony Ramos Says Black Panther's Ryan Coogler Is Involved in Marvel Spinoff

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is involved with Marvel's Ironheart, actor Anthony Ramos has revealed. The Marvel Studios series spins out of Coogler's feature film sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where Dominique Thorne will make her MCU debut as Riri Williams. Speaking to Extra at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, the Hamilton and In the Heights actor confirmed the Black Panther writer-director is on board the project from head writer Chinaka Hodge (Amazing Stories and Snowpiercer). 

"It's incredible people, Chinaka Hodge, Ryan Coogler and just, like, a dope squad... you know, Dominique Thorne... and I just feel blessed and grateful," Ramos said of the "amazing project." On joining Thorne in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ramos said, "I'm so excited... I used to be in the gym like, 'C'mon, Marvel, call... c'mon, Marvel, call. Let's go!'"

Last February, Coogler's Proximity Media production company signed an overall deal with Disney for a Wakanda-set spinoff series and "select MCU shows for Disney+." In a statement, Coogler teased Proximity Media is "already in the mix" with Marvel Studios brass Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso "on some projects that we can't wait to share." 

Ramos' Marvel character in Ironheart remains under wraps, but he's reportedly playing a key role as the series' villain. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces Thorne's Riri, a genius inventor and MIT student who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr). 

"One of the best things about expanding the MCU to Disney+ is that our team at Marvel Studios is finally able to do some of the things that we always wanted to do but didn't quite have the right outlet for," Marvel Studios president and producer Feige said during Disney Investor Day 2020, where Feige announced Ironheart and Disney+ series Secret Invasion, Armor Wars, and Moon Knight (streaming March 30). 

Disney-Marvel has not set a streaming date for Ironheart on Disney+. Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Dominique Thorne, and Martin Freeman, opens only in theaters on November 11.