‘Ironheart’ Footage Picks Up Riri Williams’ Tale From ‘Black Panther 2’

At the D23 Expo on Friday, Marvel Studios gave attendees a glimpse of the forthcoming Disney+ series “Ironheart.” The new show follows Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who first appeared in the MCU with 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The preview maintained a visual style consistent with the aforementioned film.

Riri, reflecting on her experiences in Wakanda, remarks, “After my internship abroad, I felt stuck. I want to build something undeniable.” To achieve her ambitious goals, she acknowledges the need for substantial financial resources, leading her to Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos).

Robbins wields a mystical hood that grants him access to dark magic, creating a conflict between him and Riri, whose methods are grounded in science. An intense moment occurs when Parker confronts Joe McGillicuddy, portrayed by Alden Ehrenrich. “Anyone who’s ever accomplished anything in life had to do some questionable things to get it done,” Parker observes.

The footage features numerous dynamic scenes of Williams in her Ironheart armor, including a dramatic slow-motion sequence where she demolishes a truck. It concludes with a lighter-hued suit speeding toward the camera.

In “Wakanda Forever,” Riri is depicted as a brilliant MIT student from Chicago who invents both her power suit and a vibranium detector, drawing the attention of Wakanda’s leaders, including the underwater king Namor and the CIA. Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) come to her aid against Namor’s forces.

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) eventually saves Riri’s life before dying in battle. Riri collaborates with the Wakandans to defeat Namor and designs a flying armor suit called Midnight Angel for Okoye.

The cast of “Ironheart” also features Lyric Ross as Riri’s friend Natalie Washington, Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington, Anji White as Riri’s mother, Manny Montana as Cousin John, and Shea Couleé as Slug.

The character of Riri was originally developed by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato. The series is crafted by Chinaka Hodge, with Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directing three episodes each of the six-episode run.