Last month, the new Marvel limited series, Ironheart was seen filming around town. It was first reported by our favorite source for accuracy, chicagofilming.com, and later confirmed by a few onlookers.
The series continues the legacy of Tony Stark by following the adventures of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne,) a young black woman from the South Side of Chicago. Williams is an MIT engineer with a genius IQ, who builds her own Iron Man armor.
But will Riri Williams be introduced in her own series?
Mmmmaybe not.
With Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder opening this week in theaters, we will probably get our first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The sequel to the mammoth 2018 film starring the late Chadwick Boseman, is most likely where we will meet Dominique Thorne’s character.
Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen leaks from the upcoming film. There has been Shuri’s new outfit, Namor the Submariner, and characters such as Attuma and Namora.
As can be seen in the art below several sticker-like designs have not only the name “Ironheart,” but more specifically “Mark 1 armor.” Based on this it seems likely that fans can expect to see Thorne’s Williams suit up as Ironheart in the highly anticipated sequel
????NEW #BlackPantherWakandaForever merch confirm that #RiriWilliams have an armor in the movie ? #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #BlackPanther2 #MCU #Marvel #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/RWiCO9kch9
— MCU Facility (@MCU_Facility) July 2, 2022
Now, the latest piece of promo art, via Reddit account r/MarvelStudioSpoilers, reveals Riri Williams’ Mark I Ironheart red and blue armor. It’s very much an exoskeleton that probably represents her first attempt at making her suit. Take a look the blurry image below:
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According to Comic Book Movie, which reported this story, its artwork is typically used for reference by toy companies that produce merchandise such as Funko Pops and action figures.
It’s speculated that Riri’s backstory will be related to the outreach programs Wakanda set up at the end of the first movie. Riri’s probably in one of those programs and is inspired by Tony, especially after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It seems like a very natural setup for a character.
She might even simply appear as one of Marvel’s infamous mid-credits scenes.
Ironheart was first announced in December 2020 as one of the many new MCU series that are in development. The Iron Man spin-off is expected to be filmed in Chicago and Atlanta, the chosen filming location for Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes ever since Pinewood Atlanta Studios opened in Fayetteville in 2014.
Ironheart the series is expected to air in 2023.
