Ever since Tony Stark bit the dust in Avengers: Endgame, fans have been wondering who may be the next to fill the iron-suit-sized hole in the MCU. Of course, the first person that comes to mind is Don Cheadle’s War Machine—but he seems to already have his identity on lock. The answer actually lies in a new upcoming hero: Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, aka Ironheart.
In the comics, Riri is a character who created her own Iron Man suit in her garage, thanks to an old, outdated Stark suit and stolen parts from her college campus. She goes on to become Ironheart, and ends up helping Iron Man during Civil War 2, becomes a member of The Champions, and, somehow, becomes the Queen of Latveria.
The character has been confirmed to make her first appearance in the upcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead of leading her own Disney+ series, Ironheart. Fans should be ready for Riri to become a big part of the MCU going forward.
The character’s debut performance will be important for general audiences; first impressions and all that. So what will Ironheart’s entrance look like in Wakanda Forever?
Thanks to a reliable insider, it seems that fans should expect her to not only debut as Riri Williams but also to suit up as well.
Black Panther Features Ironheart Suit
In response to a fan’s tweet asking if Dominique Thorne’s Riri William will be suiting up in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, insider Lizzie Hill of The Cosmic Circus gave a definitive answer:
“She’s suiting up, yes.”
Marvel Studios has only confirmed that Riri Williams will feature in the film, but whether she would put on her Ironheart attire hasn’t been known.
However, now it looks like fans can look forward to a new suit of armor coming to the MCU sooner rather than later—though, it’s important to note how this is still a rumor and not confirmed information.
Thorne recently posted on Instagram, celebrating her picture wrap on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with a caption telling fans that she'll “see [them] in November.”
Her next stop will be to film her Disney+ series Ironheart, which is set to start production later this year.
The Debut of Ironheart's Suit
Fans will likely be thrilled to know that they may not have to wait long before seeing Riri Williams decked out in her superhero outfit.
Recently, scenes were filmed at MIT with stars such as Dominque Thorne, Letitia Wright, and Danai Gurira. Seeing as in the comics Riri steals parts for her suit there, could her construction of this new armor have gotten the attention of Shuri and Okoye for some reason?
If the hero does, in fact, get her proper suit, it would also indicate that Ironheart will get involved in some action. Maybe fans will see Riri go up against the Atlanteans alongside other Wakandans.
After her feature film debut and her solo series, what’s next for the character? While not confirmed, there’s a strong chance she’ll be an important part of Armor Wars, given her new shiny suit of armor. This will also give Riri the chance to get a mentor in James Rhodes, where he can adequately pass on the torch that Tony once carried.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 12, 2022.
