All six episodes of Marvel’s Ironheart are now streaming on Disney+, and there are plenty of great reasons to love the show. The Marvel Cinematic Universe newest TV series focuses on Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) around six months after her eventful spell in Wakanda and Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In Ironheart, Riri returns to her home in Chicago and finds herself embroiled in a criminal scheme with a mysterious individual known as Parker Robbins/The Hood (Anthony Ramos). Furthermore, Riri takes time to build new suits of armor with unique features as she fortifies herself for battle. Ironheart introduces an intriguing group of characters to the MCU and sets up its main character for an astonishing future storyline.
Now that Disney+ subscribers can watch Ironheart from start to finish, it’s a great time to look back at the best parts of the show.
1) The Return of Riri Williams
Riri was a standout element of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so it’s a joy to see her back in the spotlight. In her MCU debut as a supporting character, Riri fit in well with Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Wakanda’s most prominent figures as she grew into her identity as a superhero under their mentorship. Almost three years have passed since Wakanda Forever, though, thus Riri’s return was in the works for a while before finally coming to fruition. This time in a lead role, Riri shines even brighter and further cements herself as one of the MCU’s most fascinating characters introduced after Avengers: Endgame. Riri’s heightened moral ambiguity related to her creation of an AI version of her dead best friend collaboration with The Hood’s crew, and deal with the devil sets up an interesting continuation of her arc in the future.
2) Ironheart‘s Outstanding Supporting Cast
Riri’s captivating story in Ironheart incorporates a number of excellent supporting characters portrayed by talented actors. Ramos stands out as the enigmatic Hood, whose layers the show slowly peels back to reveal a power-hungry and desperate persona. Riri’s AI friend N.A.T.A.L.I.E (Lyric Ross) offers some thought-provoking commentary on the ethics of generative AI while resurfacing a tragic aspect of Riri’s past. Parker’s associates John King (Manny Montana), Rampage (Eric Andre), Clown (Sonia Denis), Slug (She Coulée), Jeri Blood (Zoe Terakes), and Roz Blood (Shakira Barrera) all bring humor and riveting drama to Ironheart. Tech genius Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich) and magic-wielder Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah) are also superb additions to the show, as they represent superb connections to the broader MCU.
3) Riri’s New and Improved Suits
It was exhilarating to watch Riri take flight for the first time in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and viewers see a lot more of Ironheart’s armor in the Disney+ series. Riri wears three different suits in Ironheart following her pair of armors in Wakanda Forever. She soars in her black and white Mark III model before losing it to her expulsion from MIT. Riri returns to the workshop and creates the Mark IV, the conventional gray and red armor she sports while carrying out missions with The Hood’s gang.
Riri’s final suit, the Mark V, is the most unique iteration of her armor. Jet black with deep red accents, it features a heart-shaped reactor and has the ability to channel magic. Ironheart certainly does not disappoint when it comes to cool-looking and powerful suits of armor, and it’s exciting to see Riri build, fly, and fight in them. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) himself would be proud of Riri’s exquisite inventions in the show.
4) The Deep Cut Iron Man References
Ironheart successfully develops Riri as a unique MCU character while paying tribute to Tony Stark/Iron Man, who inspired Riri to build her own armor. Ezekiel’s presence as the son of Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) calls back to the demise of Tony Stark’s former business partner who was bent on destroying him. Furthermore, the inclusion of N.A.T.A.L.I.E parallels Tony’s many AI assistants like J.A.R.V.I.S and F.R.I.D.A.Y. Thankfully, Ironheart doesn’t cling to the past, rather it honors the legacy of the MCU’s Iron Man lore while allowing Riri to follow her own path.
5) Magic and Mephisto
Ironheart differs from the MCU’s Iron Man projects by taking a gripping turn toward the magic corner of the franchise. Riri’s encounters with Zelma unearth details about The Hood’s magic cloak and lead to the magic-infused Ironheart suit. All of this culminates with the long-awaited MCU debut of Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen). The manipulative devil-like entity known for making pacts with vulnerable humans.
In Ironheart‘s finale, Riri meets Mephisto and takes his deal to bring back N.A.T.A.L.I.E. It’s not entirely certain where this development will lead, but Riri’s dark turn promises a greater presence of magic in the MCU’s future — which is impossible to not be excited about. The magic elements of Ironheart are a thrill for anyone who loves WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and the Doctor Strange movies.
What’s your favorite thing about Ironheart? Let us know in the comments!
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