In Marvel Comics, Tony Stark makes an epic return as an AI construct, but Marvel Studios just confirmed that the MCU isn't going that route, as Tony was officially replaced. Aside from mentions in dialogue and some scenes that honored his legacy, Tony Stark has not been present in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. Some theorized that he could make a return in Avengers: Secret Wars, but that possibility became a lot less likely after Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Doctor Doom for the two upcoming Avengers flicks.
In the newest trailer for Ironheart, the last few seconds of footage confirmed that Marvel Studios will be adapting some elements of the original Ironheart storyline from the comics, where Riri Williams creates an AI construct as an assistant.
In the comics, Tony Stark was the one to appear as Riri's first AI hologram, but the trailer confirmed that he has been replaced.
Instead, in the footage, it was confirmed that Lyric Ross will be portraying the AI assistant who is officially known as Natalie, so she will technically be taking over Tony Stark's role from the comics.
It is worth noting that Natalie is a character from the comics as well, just that she was not Riri's first AI assistant. In the source material, Natalie was Riri's friend who was killed in a drive-by shooting. However, she was recreated as an AI construct after Tony's AI was introduced.
It seems that Marvel Studios included a clever nod to those who theorized that Tony could make a return as Riri's AI assistant, all while addressing Natalie taking over Tony's role from the comics. In the trailer, when Natalie was first introduced and appeared on-screen, she said to Riri (but, due to editing, also playfully to viewers), "Who the hell else would it be, bitch?"
The full trailer for Ironheart that was recently released can be seen below:
Ironheart will premiere its first three episodes on Disney+ on June 24, 2025. The upcoming project will bring an end to Phase 5 of the MCU, as it is the last project that will be released before Phase 6 begins with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The upcoming series will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins, and Alden Ehrenreich.
Why Isn't Tony Stark Appearing in Ironheart
Yes, many fans would lose their minds if Tony Stark returned to the MCU in the form of Riri Williams' AI assistant. After all, Tony already appeared in a hologram that he created at the end of Avengers: Endgame after he died. However, there are a couple of reasons why Tony Stark should not be in Ironheart.
Ironheart is Riri's series, thus also making it Dominique Thorne's series. If Tony Stark returned and was played by Robert Downey Jr., nearly all of the focus would be on him rather than Riri, and that is not what Marvel Studios or Thorne wants for this upcoming show.
Marvel Studios has already revealed that Riri Williams will step out from Iron Man's shadow once the upcoming series releases and that she will be her own character who paves her own path. If Iron Man himself were to appear in the series, that would only tie the two characters together more closely, making it harder for Riri to stand on her own in the eyes of some fans.
It is also worth mentioning that it would simply be too expensive for Tony Stark to be Riri's AI assistant. Once again, if it were Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role, he would come with a hefty price tag. With Ironheart being a Disney+ series, Marvel Studios and Disney would not want to pay that kind of money for a TV show where Downey Jr.'s character wouldn't even be the title character.
