The legacy of Iron Man is something of legend. The original film launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and served as the cornerstone of Hollywood’s most successful franchise. After the death of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in Avengers: Endgame, we entered “The Multiverse Saga,” where new characters started to step into the spotlight in a brand-new era for Marvel. The Disney+ series Ironheart closes out the penultimate chapter of the Multiverse Saga, which is fitting, given how the franchise started. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spin-off exists at an awkward time for the MCU. The series was initially set for release in 2023, but due to several delays, it’s now premiering two years later, far removed from the character’s first appearance. So much has happened within that time. Bob Iger has returned as the head of Disney, Kevin Feige has insisted that future Marvel titles will feel more like films and less like “homework,” and Kang (Jonathan Majors) has been swapped out for Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom. Does Ironheart feel like a series lost to time, or can it exist in Marvel’s new era ahead of Avengers: Doomsday? Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
What Is ‘Ironheart’ About?

Set after the events of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart follows Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) as she returns to her hometown in Chicago. Riri is a genius inventor who is determined to become one of the greatest minds in the world, rivaling those of Bruce Banner, Hank Pym, and the late Tony Stark. Unfortunately, with Riri not having Stark’s money, she finds herself having to do odd jobs in order to continue working on her Iron suit. The lack of resources leads her to Parker Robbins, also known as “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos), and his crew. Ironheart pits science against magic as Riri eventually has to figure out how to fight against The Hood after a falling out. What makes this match-up unique is how Riri needs to outsmart those around her and ensure she comes out on top. In a way, it’s a classic Iron Man story, as she builds her suit using the tools she’s been given and has to save herself from a much larger threat. The highlight of Ironheart is Dominique Thorne’s performance as Riri. She’s able to tap into the emotions of a character who is hungry to prove herself, while also showing that fear and vulnerability once things go beyond her control. Thorne’s chemistry with Lyric Ross (Natalie Washington), Riri’s best friend, is easily when the show is at its best. Seeing Chicago is also an incredible change of pace from the standard East Coast setting we’ve come to expect from Marvel. The city and those in it help Ironheart stand out in a way we haven’t seen thus far. It’s unfortunate that, outside of Thorne and Ross, most of the cast is given nothing of substance, and that steamrolls into a much larger issue.
‘Ironheart’ Is at Odds With Itself

Ironheart has the unusual task of not only being a spin-off to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever but also a legacy successor to the Iron Man trilogy, and the magic elements tie it to the likes of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. All of this Marvel baggage weighs down the plot, leading to everything feeling unsatisfying. Alden Ehrenreich, for instance, plays a character who has deep connections to a previous Marvel entry, but his presence in no way aids Riri’s story, and his existence comes across as more contrived. The MCU is once again trying to ensure everything is linked, even if it doesn’t really have a reason to. The same can be said about all the magic users in this story. They have a bigger connection to Doctor Strange and that mystical side of the MCU (specifically tying in to a Multiverse of Madness plotline), but it really feels like Riri was just thrown into the event with little reason. When the series focuses on Riri’s love of tech and her world, it is entertaining, and an origin story that revolved around her could have been excellent. However, when Ironheart delves into the more magical side of things, it becomes increasingly messy, because the two elements don’t mesh well together.

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If Ironheart had played to its protagonist’s unique strengths, it could have resulted in a much more compelling series. The show tries to deliver a twist late in the season to help make things more interesting, but at that point, it’s too late, and viewers are left with more questions than answers. It’s an idea with more potential for a future story, because Riri is a character the audience barely knows and hasn’t seen in years. The Hood and his overlord would’ve been a much stronger component in a potential Season 2, once Riri is firmly established as the tech genius she can be.
‘Ironheart’ Takes AI to an Uncomfortable Place

Image via Disney+

In Marvel Comics, Riri Williams builds her iron suit with Tony Stark serving as her artificial intelligence. This not only brings her closer to Iron Man, but also allows the book to lean into more stories that dealt with Iron Man’s world, as Stark is serving as a Force ghost-like mentor to a young Williams. The series takes a different approach; instead of a blue Downey Jr. playing Riri’s AI, it’s one of her deceased close friends. While this does preserve the spirit of the original comic, the show’s change comes across as more distasteful because, with the rise of AI and deepfakes, replacing deceased friends and family with AI copies is not something anyone wants to see in 2025. The show even addresses this point, with someone speaking out about seeing their relative recreated as an AI without their consent, but never seizes the opportunity to offer an actual commentary on the matter. Instead, we just pretend that this is a perfectly normal thing, and not at all unsettling. Ironheart had so much potential. Thorne is terrific, and the series features talented actors like Ramos, Ehrenreich, Cree Summer, and Sacha Baron Cohen, but the bulk of the cast is ultimately wasted in either cameo roles or given very little to work with. Combine that with the show not giving Riri an origin story that plays to her strengths, and we get another forgettable Marvel series that is crushed under the weight of the MCU machine. The series sets up a few surprising cliffhangers and a post-credit scene that hints at more to come, but neither of these plotlines is necessarily worth exploring. Ironheart is a series for MCU completionists, and it does have a few moments that will make the hardcore audience cheer. However, as a standalone, the show just doesn’t have a lot going for it, and most people may forget it ever happened in the first place. Ironheart premieres June 24 on Disney+.

Ironheart

Ironheart had so much potential, but even Dominique Thorne’s performance can’t help this Disney+ series soar above all the MCU baggage.

Release Date

June 24, 2025

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Chinaka Hodge

Directors

Angela Barnes, Sam Bailey

Dominique Thorne

Riri Williams / Ironheart

Lyric Ross

Natalie Washington

Pros & Cons

Dominique Thorne and Lyric Ross have incredible chemistry.
Riri Williams and her world are actually compelling.

Too much magic, not enough science.
The show’s handling of A.I. is disturbing.
Ironheart doesn’t play to the strengths of its main character.