IRONHEART (2025 Disney+)

By: Nick Zednik

“I’m here because I can be the greatest inventor of my generation.” That’s the bold opening statement from central protagonist Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in Disney and Marvel’s latest entry in the long gestated MCU series, Ironheart. Directly following the events of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), the show centers around the brilliantly young and recently expelled MIT student who is reeling after the events of the film in which she was introduced. It’s heavily noted that Williams is a Tony Stark admirer due to his influence on technology. At times, it feels as if Riri’s intellect is even bigger than Stark’s wealth, a throughline the series takes head on. Ironheart justifies its existence with a likable lead, familiar ties and social commentary, but feels primed to be another MCU series left with untapped potential.

The unequivocal best part about Ironheart is Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Riri Williams. The character’s pain and guilt are obvious, as is the burden of having to carry on a legacy far bigger than any diploma would state. Lyric Ross (This is Us) shines as her best friend, turned AI, Natalie, with their relationship serving as the series' beating heart. Another highlight is the compelling Joe McGillicuddy played by the terrific Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), a character with deep ties to the first MCU film, Iron Man (2008). Every time Riri and Joe share the screen marks a point in which the show truly shines and evolves into something more personal and intimate. The two outsiders grapple with legacy, identity, and the pressure to defy the roles the world has boxed them into. The Chicago backdrop is a nice touch outside of the usual “world-ending” threats we see facing New York City. The fight choreography in the iron suit as well as the magic sequences are also well done. While the tackling of rich vs poor, those born with the tools to succeed versus those without and the expectation to be better, could have been fleshed out more fluently, it leaves audiences with enough to chew on. 

The downside, unfortunately, is everything else. The tone is inconsistent with juggling too many characters, themes and Riri’s journey being left half baked. The main villain, Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” played by Anthony Ramos (In The Heights) isn’t built as formidable alongside his crew of misguided misfits. Using Riri and her technological brawn as a means to rob the wealthy just isn’t a compelling narrative by contemporary standards. Longer runtimes or additional episodes would’ve allowed the story to breathe better, it just doesn’t have enough air to fully explore everything on a satisfying level. The addition of magic and technology rushes right into the consequences of blending the two together. At times, Ironheart feels like watching two different shows confusingly mixed into one.

Nick’s Pick: 5/10  While Ironheart leaves a lot to be desired, the series finale is one of Marvel’s best, and I give them a lot of credit for finally pulling the trigger on a long-awaited character that can set up a lot of interesting storylines moving forward. I just don’t know if we’ll ever see the payoff, but I certainly wouldn’t mind more of Riri Williams.