Ironheart, the story of Iron Man's successor, Riri Williams, is just one of many MCU projects coming down the pipeline. Although the titular Ironheart is set to appear in November's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with certain pieces of promotional art having already been released, her own show doesn't quite have a release date yet.
Even so, the series is already in the midst of filming, with production having started back in May. Though filming has been going on for weeks, leaks have just begun to emerge, including a new photo showing Dominique Thorne on set as Riri Williams.
As production rolls on, other news about the upcoming series continues to spill out. Rumor has it that the main antagonist of the piece is set to be The Hood, a villain whose magic-based abilities draw a clear contrast with Riri Williams' more technology-oriented abilities. Though this has yet to be confirmed, the ongoing state of production could mean that a look at this potential antagonist may be on the way.
However, even as filming for Ironheart continues in Chicago, preparations are being made elsewhere for an exciting sequence in the series - one taking place in a somewhat surprising location.
Ironheart Heads to White Castle
According to Urbanize Atlanta, a massive White Castle restaurant is currently being constructed in Atlanta for the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. The building in question is about a month into construction, though it still appears to be in the early stages.
White Castle is an American fast-food chain with 377 locations across 13 states. The popular restaurant chain has been running since 1921 and has often been credited as the world's first fast-food burger chain. As per the name, the restaurants are specifically designed to resemble a white castle, a real-world example of which, as posted by Ambrosia LaFluer, can be seen below:
While filming is set to commence at the mock White Castle in September, the building may not last for long, as it is apparently meant to be "torched or even exploded on purpose in a matter of weeks."
The MCU's White Castle set currently in construction can be seen below, its signature battlements the only thing marking it as such:
Why Is Ironheart In A White Castle?
According to the information gleaned by Urbanize Atlanta, it appears that Ironheart's adventures over the course of her Disney+ series may see her blasting her way through a White Castle. While seemingly a trivial bit of information, this construction project actually helps to shed light on both the tone of the series and the scale of its action.
Utilizing real-world, somewhat mundane locations isn't entirely new to the MCU, with spots like Blockbuster and Baskin Robbins having played key roles in previous films. In both of these examples, their inclusion was used for somewhat comedic effect, and the same is likely being done here. Seeing Ironheart battle foes in a White Castle will no doubt be an entertaining sight, possibly also showcasing her unpolished combat skills, as it seems she is destined to fail to protect the fast food chain.
The explosion of an entire restaurant also suggests that Ironheart will feature a great deal of damage and destruction. Even as other Disney+ shows have featured impressive spectacles before, this inclusion seems to set Ironheart apart as a series with more straightforward super-heroics than its peers.
Beyond the implications for the story of Ironheart, this piece of news also illuminates a bit about its production timeline. With a seemingly major set piece scheduled for filming in September, it's unlikely that the series will be debuting anytime before early to mid-2023. Even with the ridiculous amount of work Marvel expects from its VFX vendors, finalizing what would seem to be an effects-heavy sequence like this will likely take time, pushing back a potential release.
While this news moves the release timeline back for Ironheart, it also increases the chances of photos or information leaking out about the series during filming. After all, how could Marvel hope to hide the destruction of an entire White Castle?
PLAYSTATION Writer
