A long-lost character from Captain America: Civil War is officially making a comeback in the MCU. New footage from Marvel Studios has confirmed that the background figure will reappear during Phase 5, surprising fans who hadn't expected to see him again or forgot he existed.
Marvel has officially brought back one of the MCU's most under-the-radar characters, Jim Rash's MIT Liaison from Captain America: Civil War, in the long-awaited Ironheart trailer. The character, still unnamed and largely forgotten since his brief 2016 appearance, is seen working alongside Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in a lab at MIT. He delivers the line, "You are not the first genius at MIT," teasing a connection between the two that tries to dial down Riri's arrogance.
His return is a surprising but amusing deep cut for longtime fans, and hints that Marvel may be expanding his role from comic relief to something a bit more substantial in Ironheart this summer.
The actor briefly appeared in Captain America: Civil War as an overly eager MIT Liaison who tried to pitch Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) on a self-cooking hot dog idea after Stark announced the September Foundation at the university. Stark, unimpressed and distracted, promptly ignored him and walked off, leaving the hopeful faculty member with nothing but his dreams and maybe a lunch idea.
Now, nearly a decade later, Rash's character is back, possibly upgrading from "Liaison" to "Professor" this time around. Interestingly, part of his re-appearance feels like a nod to Stark and signals his character might serve as a subtle bridge between Iron Man's legacy and Riri's future. This, however, is certainly a disappointment compared to how connected Riri and Tony were in the comics.
Though minor, his return is emblematic of Marvel Studios' increasing willingness to mine deep cuts from earlier phases and give once-overlooked characters new relevance. He's also seemingly an ally, who could help her against The Hood, who may have a sinister connection to Mephisto in the new series.
Ironheart was created by Chinaka Hodge, who serves as head writer, with directing duties split between Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes. The series is executive-produced by Black Panther filmmaker Ryan Coogler. Ironheart premieres June 24, 2025, on Disney+ with its first three episodes and will be the final project of Phase Five.
Ironheart's Story From Comics to TV
The Ironheart trailer doesn't waste any time diving into Riri's new journey as she returns to the MCU spotlight. The trailer showcases the young inventor's post-Wakanda Forever life at MIT, where she's shown continuing to push the boundaries of her suit technology. Between shots of her working on advanced tech and gearing up in her Ironheart armor, the trailer hints at a conflict between magic and science, embodied by Anthony Ramos' The Hood. It also offers a glimpse at Riri building her own AI assistant, a nod to N.A.T.A.L.I.E. from the comics, and teases the arrival of Alden Ehrenreich's mystery arms dealer.
While Ironheart is clearly carving its own path in the MCU, fans of the comics will note the many departures from Riri's original story. In the comics, Riri builds her first suit in secret using parts stolen from MIT, and gains the blessing of Tony Stark himself after stopping escaped convicts. That mentorship is absent in the MCU, where Tony Stark is already dead by the time Riri debuts in Black Panther 2. Instead, her mission isn't to carry on Stark's legacy but to forge her own, driven by personal conviction and a desire to build something "undeniable" and "iconic."
With the trailer leaning into these differences and teasing both internal and external conflicts for Riri, Ironheart doesn't have the highest expectations due to massive delays, but it could fill in the MCI Disney+ with another fun adventure for comics fans.
