You would think, with production on the Marvel series Ironheart having ended such a long time ago, that we wouldn’t be receiving any more casting updates of note anymore. It would appear that that is not the case, though, as two new regular cast members have just been announced.
Ironheart follows the story of Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, whom we were introduced to in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The series will focus on her character much more closely, and is also allegedly setting up the onscreen arrival of the much-anticipated villain Mephisto, with Sacha Baron-Cohen rumored for the role. There’s also a stellar cast on top of that, with the likes of Alden Ehrenreich, Anthony Ramos, and Manny Montana also involved as series regulars.
The new reveals come by way of The Cosmic Circus, who reported that the role of Ronnie (the mother of Riri in the comics) will be played by Anji White, with Matthew James Elam in an undisclosed role. White is a theatre, television, and film actress having worked on some well-known productions including Fargo, Chicago Med, and Empire, while she has also received critical acclaim for her work on the stage in productions such as For Colored Girls and Sunset Bay.
Elam and White are actually already connected, with Elam also having a regular role on season 4 of Fargo alongside White. He has starred in a handful of other shows, including the Sopranos spin-off The Many Saints of Newark.
With many feeling confident that White will indeed be playing Riri’s mother, Ronnie, we should see an interesting relationship from there. The two have a slightly contentious relationship in the comics, with her mother despairing over her daughter’s less-than-legal activities. She despairs over her children fiddling with extreme tech, but it is Tony Stark that brings her around to her daughters remarkable abilities.
Of course, this will differ in the MCU given that Tony Stark is no more. Riri could perhaps be being watched over by her gifted friend and current Black Panther, Shuri. According to an earlier script for the Black Panther sequel, Ronnie was originally mentioned in the film, with Queen Ramonda assuring Riri her mother was safe and at work, none the wiser of her daughter’s superhero work.