Summary
- Riri Williams’ introduction in Black Panther 2 was poorly executed, as her role didn’t serve much purpose and she felt like a third wheel.
- The delay of the Ironheart show may harm the series, as there is now a significant gap between Riri’s solo show and her introduction in Black Panther 2.
- Marvel needs to ensure that Ironheart goes above and beyond to give Riri Williams the honor she deserves as Iron Man’s official replacement.
Iron Man’s official replacement is set to star in Ironheart, but the MCU may have already failed her. The Disney+ series won’t be Riri Williams’ introduction to the MCU, as she’s already appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but it will be the first project dedicated to her story. However, Riri Williams will already be at a disadvantage going into her solo series.
Though Ironheart had a considerable amount of screen time in the Black Panther sequel, there are still plenty of unknowns regarding her character. Marvel had the right idea in following up Riri’s debut with the Ironheart TV show to further explore her character, but the MCU hero is currently in an odd position. It’s been a rocky start for Ironheart so far, and the MCU will have to do a lot in order to make it up to Iron Man’s replacement.
Ironheart Show Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart will explore Riri Williams’s story with a talented new cast joining the MCU.
Riri Williams’ Black Panther 2 Introduction Was Poorly Executed
On the surface, Riri Williams seems like an integral part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever plot. She is the reason the Wakadans could get information about the CIA’s pursuit and the Vibranium Detector machine. However, her role didn’t serve much actual purpose besides providing intel. While it was cool to see the parallels between Riri and Shuri, she felt like a third wheel in the family dynamics, which was a focal point of Wakanda Forever. If the Ironheart series had been given a mid or post-credit scene or omitted from Wakanda Forever altogether, it ultimately wouldn’t have had much effect on the film’s plot.
The MCU sometimes builds up its future protagonists by featuring them as a supporting character in a bigger franchise, such as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War or America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The studio was clearly trying to do this with Riri Williams in Black Panther 2 by teasing a bit about her character and showcasing her similarities to Iron Man. However, her MCU introduction should’ve been a grand entrance in her own solo show rather than a supporting role in a movie in which she didn’t have much purpose.
The Ironheart Show Has Been Indefinitely Delayed
Ironheart finished filming in 2022 and was originally slated for a late 2023 release, but it has since been delayed indefinitely. The MCU’s recent delays actually bode well for the future slate as the studio is focused on creating better-quality projects. However, Ironheart’s delay may do more harm to the series than good as there’s now too much of a gap between Riri’s solo show and her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduction. No matter how good of a series Ironheart is, Marvel will have to work hard to regain Riri’s post-Wakanda Forever hype that has already died down.
Riri garnered some excitement from her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but Ironheart is already becoming irrelevant as the franchise hasn’t done anything with her since. As one of the key future players of the Young Avengers and Iron Man’s official replacement, Riri needs a grand MCU origin. Her supporting role in Black Panther 2 was poorly executed and Riri’s story should’ve been solely channeled into her solo series instead. With the character’s rocky start, Marvel will have to ensure Ironheart goes above and beyond to give Riri Williams the honor she deserves as the character meant to carry on Iron Man’s legacy.
