Just two weeks after the Ironheart finale aired on July 1, 2025, Disney+ is already bringing Riri Williams back to the spotlight in a brand-new Marvel series. The quick turnaround may surprise many at first glance, but the explanation is targeted at a specific audience. Marvel Studios' Ironheart series had a two-week run, releasing all six episodes, setting up the future for Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams in the MCU.
Marvel Studios has already brought Riri Williams back to Disney+ two weeks after the Ironheart finale, this time in animated form. The young superhero returned in a brand-new mini-episode short titled "Meet Ironheart," which debuted as part of the newly launched Meet Iron Man and His Awesome Friends series on Disney+, a prelude to Iron Man and His Awesome Friends, coming in August.
The preschool-targeted series introduces a younger version of Tony Stark alongside his best friends Riri Williams and Amadeus Cho (aka Iron Hulk) as they team up to save the world.
Voiced by Kapri Ladd, the animated Riri is now positioned more than ever as a core character in the Marvel universe for younger audiences, following her live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and continuation in Ironheart, even though the latter may be darker than fans were expecting.
Directed by Michael Dowding and produced by Marvel Studios Animation and Atomic Cartoons, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends is set to officially premiere on August 11, 2025, on Disney Jr., with the first 10 full episodes hitting Disney+ the following day.
However, fans can now stream 10 introductory shorts (including "Meet Ironheart") on Disney+, featuring early looks at key characters like Iron Hulk, Iron Spider, and more.
The series also stars Mason Blomberg as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Aidyn Ahn as Amadeus Cho/Iron Hulk, with guest appearances from Marvel favorites like Captain America (Sam Wilson), Black Panther (T'Challa), and Anya Corazon as Iron Spider.
With this early rollout, Marvel is clearly laying the groundwork for a new generation of heroes and fans. The new series follows Spidey and His Amazing Friends' lead, which recently released its fourth season, joining a stellar line-up of Marvel series.
With all of Ironheart now fully streaming for the past two weeks, Riri Williams has become the most recent Marvel character to headline her own solo series. The show has made a strong impression among fans, ranking as the third most-streamed original series in the U.S. for the week of June 29 and continuing to chart on various engagement platforms through early July.
While the series earned a solid 77% critics' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it also became the seventh MCU project to be review-bombed by audiences, highlighting the polarized response often faced by newer or diverse heroes.
Still, Dominique Thorne's performance as Riri earned praise, and the actress has expressed openness to returning in future MCU entries with The Direct, including massive crossover films like Avengers: Secret Wars or Avengers: Doomsday.
Riri's expanding presence across mediums suggests a promising future for the character. Her new addition in Meet Iron Man and His Awesome Friends introduces her to an entirely new audience. It's a strong sign when Marvel invests in a character not just through live-action, but also through family-friendly animation.
Since her comic debut in Invincible Iron Man #7 in 2016, Riri has headlined two solo comic series and played key roles in Champions and Infinity Countdown, steadily growing into one of Marvel's most recognized modern heroes.
When it comes to Riri Williams' future in the MCU, signs continue to point toward her joining a larger ensemble of young heroes. While the Ironheart series didn't include any confirmed cameos from fellow Young Avengers candidates, her arc involving magic-enhanced tech could naturally tie into America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who's currently training in mystic arts at Kamar-Taj.
The MCU has already introduced several other likely team members, including Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), making a team-up seem inevitable.
That said, it's becoming increasingly clear that Marvel Studios might introduce this next-generation squad under a different name. Rather than launching a Young Avengers project, reports suggest that a Champions Disney+ series is the likelier path forward, given Riri all the more reason to be back, given her aforementioned comic ties to the team.
