It’s no surprise: Riri Williams/Ironheart, played by Dominique Thorne, will have a huge role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever We know this, above all, thanks to the trailers of the film. He is a key character because of what he represents in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ironheart ends up replacing Iron Man in the comics. He is a super smart person who builds his own armor and becomes a superhero. In fact, at some point the artificial intelligence used is a digital version of Tony Stark.
So Riri Williams’ appearance on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has quite significant importance and Marvel Studios plans to enhance it even more during 2023. According to an interview with the producer of the film, Nate Moore, by Cinemablendthe character’s solo series, which will premiere in the summer of next year on Disney +, will be a direct sequel.
“The show will be the product of how much we loved her performance in this film. When we spoke with Dominique [Thorne] the character was already in the script. In fact, she was the only actress we contacted for the role. Once she agreed, we asked Ryan Coogler about the general direction of the Ironheart series. So it will be a direct sequel to the movie. Riri Williams will carry all the experiences that she had in Wakanda Forever back to MIT. And there are some interesting repercussions in her adventures that will put her on a pretty interesting track.”
Riri Williams, the replacement for Tony Stark/Iron Man
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres on November 11, the series of Ironheart is planned for summer 2023. At the moment it is not clear, yet, how Marvel plans to get RIri Williams to be the replacement for Tony Stark, who is no longer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the comics, Stark finds out about Williams, visits her and ends up becoming her mentor and ends up endorsing her transformation into a superhero. Most likely, the Kingdom of Wakanda has something to do with the character’s access to technology and is the ones who provide the necessary support to become Ironheart.
On the possibility of a reappearance of Robert Downey Jr in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a rumor pointed to voice acting for the artificial intelligence in Riri Williams’ costume. But it has not been confirmed in any way.
It’s also unclear if Ironheart’s presence will influence the film. Armor Wars, starring Don Cheadle as War Machine. Most likely, yes. Initially planned as a series, it was transformed into a movie that will be released in 2024 or 2025.