How <i>Ironheart</i> Connects to the Wider Marvel Cinematic Universe

Spoilers below.

Marvel is gearing up for a number of major releases. This summer, the studio seeks to introduce its “first family” with Fantastic Four, and next year, Avengers: Doomsday could be the biggest cinematic event since Endgame. But while we’re waiting for those movies to hit theaters, there are some equally exciting stories to dive into on the small screen. And as previous Marvel shows such as Ms. Marvel and WandaVision have established, what’s teased on the television side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will likely show up later in upcoming films.

Ironheart is one such show worth checking out. Dominique Thorne stars as Riri Williams, a young genius inventor from Chicago. The MCU is lacking in inventors these days following the loss of Tony Stark, and Riri seems poised to follow in his footsteps. But without Stark’s generational wealth, she’s got to figure out how to find the money and resources to make her inventions.

The show serves as Riri’s origin story and offers a glimpse into where she’s headed next. You don’t need to have extensive knowledge of the MCU to understand Riri’s journey, but you might have noticed she looks a bit familiar (we’ll get into that later). Below, we’ve got a breakdown of where Riri’s appeared before.

Riri Williams, also known by her hero name Ironheart, was first introduced in the 2016 Marvel Comics issue Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3. Much like her movie counterpart, the comics version of Riri is a young genius who goes to school at MIT. She gets kicked out of school when she’s revealed to have stolen resources to create her own Iron Man-like suit.

She tries to save the day, stopping two inmates in their attempted prison escape, but damages her suit in the scuffle. Tony Stark tracks her down and commits to funding her quest to become a superhero.

In the comics, Riri quickly finds herself enmeshed in his world, siding with Iron Man in the second Avengers civil war, working to take down Hydra, and assisting other up-and-comers like Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales.

However, the biggest difference between Riri in the movie and the comics is her introduction. While her pursuit to create an Iron Man-like suit is the same, it doesn’t involve a run-in with Princess Shuri. The two meet later on, when Riri and Doctor Strange work to stop a villain named Eclipse, and their work to defeat him sends her to Wakanda. But much like in Wakanda Forever, Riri and Shuri depart on good terms–and Riri is offered a place there if she ever desires it.

If Riri Williams looks familiar, it’s because she’s already appeared in a Marvel movie. She made her debut in the 2022 Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, when Shuri (Letitia Wright) discovers the U.S. has a vibranium detector, and the scientist who created it is none other than a humble MIT student. Riri’s technology threatens Wakanda’s monopoly over the powerful mineral and destabilizes the underwater kingdom of Talokan, which is home to a vibranium deposit. An expedition team who used Riri’s technology is killed by the Talokans, setting off a violent chain of events.

Throughout the film, Shuri seeks to protect Riri and Wakanda from both Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the king of Talokan, and the interference of the U.S. government. While Shuri comes to terms with the death of T’Challa and her new role as the Black Panther, Riri offers her own aid in the form of an Iron Man-like suit. But once peace is restored, Riri leaves the suit behind and returns to MIT, where she sets out to build brand-new gear using the university’s resources.

In Ironheart’s first three episodes, we get a major callback in Alden Ehrenreich’s character, Joe McGillicudy. When Riri convinces Joe to take the black market tech he’s acquired and use it for good, he reveals a huge secret: His real name is Ezekiel Stane, son of Obadiah Stane. Originally played by Jeff Bridges, Obadiah appeared in the 2008 Iron Man film, serving as Tony Stark’s mentor-turned-nemesis, who secretly hired assassins to kill Tony’s father and plotted to steal the company and Tony’s tech. Ezekiel fears that working on this technology, even to help people, could lead to him turning into his father.

It’s a clever tie-in that shows how previous Marvel characters have impacted the lives of those who’ve come after them. And when the next batch of episodes drop, Riri and Joe are sure to have their good intentions tested as they both work to use their tech for altruistic reasons. We’ll have to tune in next week to see how it all plays out.