Black Panther Iron Heart

Black Panther 2 Promo Art Reveals Best Look Yet at Ironheart's Suit



A piece of promotional art for Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever offers the best look yet at the version of the Ironheart armor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) will wear in the film.

The art sees Riri sporting what appears to be the "Mark 1" version of her Ironheart armor -- which is presumably the version she is seen building in the official teaser trailer for Wakanda Forever. This illustration belongs to the same collection of promo art that gave fans their first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and Shuri's (Letitia Wright) new threads. While this particular piece of artwork has surfaced online before, this is by far the most high-quality version to date.

Much like how the MCU's Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) went on to improve and revamp his Iron Man armor after creating the initial Mark 1 model, Ironheart will presumably make some upgrades of her own in her upcoming Disney+ series. Notably, in the Marvel comic books, Riri initially created a rather bulky Ironheart suit before developing the sleeker version she is perhaps best known for.


Ironheart's MCU Debut Is Imminent

The sequel to 2018's Black Panther, Wakanda Forever is slated to premiere on Friday, Nov. 11. The film will close out Phase Four of the MCU. After making her Marvel debut in the film, Thorne will reprise her role as Riri Williams in the Disney+ series Ironheart, which is scheduled to premiere in fall 2023 as part of Phase Five.

Created by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato, Eve Ewing and Kevin Libranda, Riri Williams/Ironheart made her first full appearance in 2016's Invincible Iron Man #9. In the comics, Riri is a teenage MIT student who manages to create an Iron Man-esque suit of armor using material stolen from the campus. While Riri's exploits initially land her in hot water, the original Iron Man himself, Tony Stark, comes to endorse her role as the world's latest armored superhero. In addition to Thorne as the eponymous character, Marvel Studios' live-action Ironheart series stars Anthony Ramos, Harper Anthony, Manny Montana, Alden Ehrenreich, Shea Couleé, Zoe Terakes and Lyric Ross.


See Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart in Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in theaters Nov. 11.

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Disney Iron Heart Web-Series

First Look at MCU Ironheart Suit On Disney+ Set (Photos)



Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be the final film of Marvel's Phase 4, but this powerful sequel won't just be dealing with the past but also the future. Out ahead of her 2023 Disney+ series, Marvel Comics heroine Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, is set to make her live-action MCU debut as Ironheart in the anticipated November film. But as fans await her big screen introduction, Thorne is busy filming her character's solo story, which is expected to release in late 2023. 


Much like the comics, Thorne's Riri Williams is a young genius who builds her own Iron Man-esque suit. While the trailer for Black Panther 2 showed her working with fellow genius Shuri, her own series is expected to explore her own backstory and challenges. 


One of those challenges is expected to be In The Heights' Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins or The Hood. Other members of the cast consist of Alden Ehrenreich, Shea Coulee, Manny Montana, and more. 


As filming for Ironheart continues, Marvel Studios has gone to great lengths to prevent spoilers. But despite their efforts, a few on-set photos have leaked offering fans an idea of what Riri Williams' Ironheart suit will look like. 


New On-Set Photos Reveal MCU's Ironheart Suit

New photos from the Atlanta set of Marvel Studios' Ironheart have offered first looks at Riri William's Ironheart suit. 


The first photo shows Dominque Thorne as Riri Williams in her partial Ironheart costume. 



For comparison, here's a look at Riri Williams' Ironheart costume from the comics. 


Speaking of which, in the comics, Riri made her suit using stolen material from MIT. But according to reports, the MCU's version of Williams has been kicked out of MIT for funding her suit by having students pay her to do their homework. 

How Much Iron Man is in Ironheart?
Even though Thorne's Riri Williams is part of Wakanda Forever's ensemble, it's expected that this newly revealed prototype suit will be reserved for her Disney+ series.

Instead, a Black Panther 2 Funko Pop! suggests that audiences will get an even earlier version of her armor in the sequel and one without an Iron Man-esque helmet. 

In regard to Tony Stark, this Ironheart prototype appears to be a bit more reflective of Iron Man armor than Riri's prototype from the comics, particularly in regard to its subtle splash of red.

Since the Wakanda Forever trailer has already included a tribute to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man via Thorne's Riri Williams, the lengths at which the Disney+ series will continue to include or pay homage to Stark have been one of the series' biggest mysteries.

Hopefully, this is something fans will learn more about on Disney+ Day or during Marvel Studios' D23 panel. If not, Wakanda Forever is sure to provide some context ahead of the show's debut. 

Ironheart is set to premiere on Disney+ in Fall 2023. 

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Disney Iron Heart MARVEL Web-Series

Marvel Casts Lyric Ross In Iron Man Disney+ Spin-off, Ironheart

 


Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man continues to have a legacy in the MCU more than two years after his on-screen death, which is largely coming to life on Disney+. Two unique shows, Armor Wars and Ironheart, will play the biggest roles in paying tribute to Downey's time as the OG MCU hero. Ironheart will be an exciting one in particular, with Riri Williams becoming the MCU's next young hero to play a key role in the narrative.

Reportedly starting filming this April, Thorne's solo series is already rumored to tie back to the past 14 years of MCU history while also setting her own Riri Williams up for a solo run on-screen. From potentially fighting descendants of Tony Stark's original villain to following up on Riri's introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans are in for a unique trip through MCU lore.

Thorne recently gained a co-star in Anthony Ramos, who's said to be a major part of the MCU's future even though his role hasn't yet been revealed. Now, that duo becomes a trio thanks to the addition of another new actress coming into her first Marvel property.

Ironheart Gains a New Starring Actress


The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Lyric Ross will take on a role in Marvel Studios' Ironheart, which is in development for release on Disney+. Ross will reportedly be playing the best friend of lead star Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams.

Ross is best known for playing Deja Pearson on NBC's This Is Us. 

Lyric Ross Goes Marvel with Iron Man Spin-Off

Having played a fairly regular role on This Is Us for the last five years, the 18-year-old Lyric Ross already has experience on one of Hollywood's most popular stories. Now, she's able to take that experience into the juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will give her arguably the biggest role of her young career to date.

Playing Riri Williams' best friend should mean that Ross will be something of a series regular, which should lead to the expectation that she'll appear in most, if not all, of the show's episodes. How she helps Riri in her superhero journey or whether she's shown before Ironheart's premiere isn't known, but she won't be in the background in any way.

The big question now is which specific character from Marvel's comic history she will play, assuming it's not someone that comes in as a Marvel Studios original like Phil Coulson. Regardless of the details, Ross will add another level of excellence to the Ironheart cast as Riri Williams and crew look to take Iron Man's legacy to new heights.

Ironheart is rumored to begin filming in April 2022.

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