by She expressed her reservations about the potential replacement of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man with Dominique Thorne‘s Ironheart.
The MCU’s Phase 4 slate was concluded by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022, marking Riri Williams’ first appearance in the series. Due to Thorne’s character essentially replacing Downey’s iconic MCU hero, this raised some fan concerns, especially after Tony Stark’s passing so eloquently concluded the Infinity Saga in Avengers: Endgame.
Director of Black Panther 2 Ryan Coogler expressed his excitement for 2022 to feature someone with “a different background” ” and a novel viewpoint that fans haven’t seen before, likening the difference to Miles Morales and Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
Even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has been claimed that the two share a “complex” relationship. Whenever Williams assumes the role of Ironheart‘s leading lady, this relationship will be further explored.
Fears over the Iron Man replacement from Ironheart Star
Star of Ironheart Dominique Thorne addressed worries from fans that her character might take the place of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
She recalled observing the “hesitation and scepticism and…concerns” surrounding the introduction of her character, realising how people are now eager to follow Riri Williams’ MCU journey:
“It feels absolutely beautiful to sit in the middle of. It feels now that people are genuinely interested in knowing more about who this Riri Williams character is. I remember when the announcement was first made that she’d be entering the MCU, there was so much hesitation and doubt and definitely some concerns about why, and what could her future in the MCU be, and now it seems that folks are very excited learn what that is. So I’m very excited to go on that journey with them.”
She also discussed her upcoming series in an interview with Variety, mentioning the “warm reception” she received following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and expressing interest in seeing “how people feel about the rest of her:
“I am so excited for folks to get to meet Riri and just dive into her, to finally get to share the depths of this girl, at least in so far as we’ve been able to tap into her in the series. I think that there was such a warm reception to her through ‘Wakanda Forever,’ and I’m so, so, so excited to see how people feel about the rest of her.”
Ironheart Star Prepared for Solo MCU Debut
After She-Hulk, Kate Bishop, and Yelena Belova, Ironheart is the only other MCU hero to take on the role of a seasoned Marvel character, and it’s obvious that Dominique Thorne is aware of the fans’ concerns. Thoughts on the heroine’s impending solo adventure have changed since she made her official appearance as a supporting character in Black Panther 2.
Even Downey, who didn’t actually give Thorne any guidance for the role and only assured her that she’d be good going down this route, has been quite supportive of her as she joins the MCU.
Her forthcoming solo series, which will take her on a thrilling voyage in her birthplace of Chicago as she encounters magic for the first time in her life, has fans eagerly awaiting further information.
Disney+ now has Black Panther: Wakanda Forever available for viewing. In the fall of 2023, Ironheart is anticipated to launch on Disney+.
