For a while, it seemed like Ironheart was one of the characters destined never to make it into the MCU. The movie universe frequently changes characters around from their comic book origins, whether that be inverting them, merging them, or rewriting them altogether. After Shuri's breakout role in Black Panther, it seemed as if she would assume the Ironheart role, and possibly even the Ironheart moniker, going forwards. Morgan Stark, who debuted in Avengers: Endgame, also seemed like a viable Ironheart, especially with Katherine Langford cast as the older version of the character, although Langford's scene was eventually cut.
It has since been confirmed that the actual Riri Williams will be joining the MCU, to be played by If Beale Street Could Talk's Dominique Thorne. Initially expected to debut in her own Disney+ series, earlier this week it was announced, along with Thorne's casting, that Ironheart would instead make her bow in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Typically, Ironheart wants to be like Iron Man, and is mentored directly by Tony Stark – putting her in Black Panther is a stroke of genius.
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There were issues with both Shuri and Morgan Stark assuming the role. Shuri is very much her own character. Changing her to become somehow connected to Iron Man seems silly, as cool as a Shuri Ironheart arc (reactor) would be, and also suggests that Riri Williams and Shuri, both Black girls interested in technology, are interchangeable. Morgan Stark, on the other hand, is white. Though she has a clear connection to Tony Stark as his daughter, giving a white actress one of the few Black teen roles in Marvel comics feels gross. Yes, I know they made the Human Torch Black in Fantastic Four. At this point, if you still need it explained to you that a Black actor taking a white role (of which there are many in pop culture) is different from a white actor taking a Black role (of which there are few), I will just assume you're arguing in bad faith.
We don't need to count out Morgan Stark and Katherine Langford entirely; Gwyneth Paltrow played Rescue in Endgame, but she's far more likely to pass that role on to Morgan than she is to sign up for a leading action role. Her diet of vagina flavoured water and candle mist doesn't exactly compare to Chris Hemsworth's zoo's-worth of meat for breakfast. In fact, Rescue, Shuri, and Ironheart teaming up would be an excellent idea down the line; especially if Ms. Marvel and Photon were added to the mix as well.
Moving Riri Williams to Wakanda Forever allows the character a fresh introduction away from Tony Stark. For one thing, Tony died in Endgame, so he can't really mentor her, but also, Iron Man has a bit too much influence in the MCU as it is. Not only is he more of a mentor to Spider-Man than he ever was in the comics, several of the villains have 'get revenge on Tony Stark' as a primary motivation – Spider-Man's nemesis Mysterio being the most recent one.
Also, having her introduced in Shuri's movie immediately nullifies the comparison. While no one bats an eye at the fact that we have several handsome white men named who like to punch things, had Riri Williams debuted elsewhere, like her Ironheart show, there likely would have been a wave of "why do we need another Shuri," because both characters are young, Black, female, and talented, and therefore completely interchangeable, right? That's why so many wanted Shuri to be Ironheart in the first place.
Wakanda Forever is also the most tragic movie in the MCU roster. Chadwick Boseman, the titular Black Panther, was being positioned as the star of the post-Infinity Saga MCU, alongside Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and Scarlet Witch. Since his death, Marvel has had to change course, and injecting his movie with other iconic Black characters is a brilliant way to honour his legacy.
Most importantly though, it feels like a healthy reinvention. Riri Williams is more indelibly tied to Iron Man than many other characters that are already heavily linked to Tony in the MCU. With him gone, it would have been easy to simply shunt Ironheart down the line, into being Dr Banner's student, or something similar. Hopefully, this lets Wakanda Forever take everything that works about her character and transplant it into a new story, no longer weighted down by the inspirations around her, but able to grow into a fresh interpretation that stands on her own two feet.
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