Marvel Studios may have pulled back a little on its output this year, but there are still many movies and TV shows in the works including Ironheart. Starring Dominique Thorne, whose character Riri Williams was introduced in last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the series will focus on the youngster who, if rumors are true could be facing the highly anticipated arrival of Mephisto. While there has still been no word on whether the series will be getting delayed like many other projects, Deadline has reported that the already stacked cast is expanding, with Fargo’s Anji White joining the series as Riri Williams’ mother.

Dominique Thorne has previously teased a connection between her new Marvel superhero and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. While she was careful not to give away too many details, Thorne revealed that links between the pair will continue into the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ series.

“They definitely are similar, but definitely two independent expressions of this beautiful mind. I think the answer to that is best left to the series next year, so that’s where you’ll have to come for the truthful answer to that question.”

While sticking to the secretive nature of Marvel Studios, Thorne did reveal during her chat with Comicbook.com that both Riri Williams and Tony Stark share an overwhelming sense of ambition — with that ambition leading them both to build suits of armor.

“I do think in Riri’s creation of this suit, or pursuing a build like that, I think that there’s an inherent acknowledgment of what Tony Stark did by creating this suit of armor. I think for someone as ambitious as Riri Williams, it’s without a doubt something that draws you in and begs your attention. As you can tell from the movie, that ambition will lead where it will lead and this time it’s led to her being in line with him by creating her very own suit of armor.”

Related: MCU’s Ironheart: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

Ironheart is Expected to be a Major MCU Player Going Forward
Marvel Studios

Following her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams is expected to become a major player in the MCU from now on. Marvel producer Nate Moore has previously teased her influence on the franchise and some of the characters saying, “We love the idea of a woman who is potentially as smart as Shuri but has such a different experience with that intelligence. And I think that made her kind of undeniable as part of the fabric of the movie.”

Ironheart will next lead her own Disney+ series. The Midnight Club writer Chinaka Hodge will serve as head writer on the show, which will find Dominique Thorne reprising the role and follow the exploits of Ironheart as she battles the villainous Parker Robbins aka The Hood, played by In the Heights star Anthony Ramos.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, meanwhile, is out now in theaters and picks up with Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), and Okoye (Danai Gurira) as they fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together to forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

Ironheart is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in late 2023, and will be part of Phase Five of the MCU.