It’s a great time to be a Marvel Comics fans. With the range of characters getting their respective live-action adaptations, to varying degrees of success, it’s impossible not to be excited. One of the comics heroes that has been drawing the most attention is Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, who will make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, before getting her own solo show on Disney Plus.
Actress Dominique Thorne has shared her thoughts with Entertainment Weekly on portraying the teenage superhero, who, despite only being created in 2016, has enjoyed massive popularity.
“I love the fact that she is just fully herself. She’s definitely not the typical or traditional superhero. She’s very much Riri Williams, the 19-year-old student first, and then there’s this whole Ironheart business that she has to figure out.”
In the comics, a fan of Iron Man and a Chicago native, Riri is a gifted engineering student who decides to create her own suit and become Iron Man after Tony Stark steps away from the role. Little is known so far about Riri’s MCU story, but she’s supposed to be an MIT student in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever who teams up with fellow teen genius, Shuri. Although the movie comes out before Disney Plus’ Ironheart, rumored plot details seem to indicate the show will act as a prequel for the character.
Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler is also a fan of the teenager, comparing Riri to Miles Morales in the way they have both revolutionized iconic mantles. “Having lived with these archetypical characters for so long, it’s always exciting seeing somebody come up and take on the moniker with a different background,” Coogler said.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on Nov. 11. As for Ironheart, there is no official release date, but the show should debut on Disney Plus in the Fall of 2023.