Ironheart

Ironheart is a Marvel Television miniseries created by Chinaka Hodge for Disney+, starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, the young inventor introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The six-episode series premiered on June 24, 2025, releasing its first three episodes together; the remaining three arrived on July 1. It belongs to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and takes place after the events of Wakanda Forever, in which Riri helped Shuri confront Namor with a vibranium-based armored suit of her own design. In the series, Riri returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago after being expelled from the university. She tries to construct another suit, but its expensive components and her need for resources pull her into a criminal operation led by Parker Robbins, known as the Hood. Anthony Ramos plays Robbins, whose hooded costume and magic effects offer contrast. His powers derive from a supernatural cloak, turning Riri’s confidence in engineering into a central conflict with magic. The cast also includes Lyric Ross as Riri’s best friend Natalie Washington, Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy, and Anji White as Riri’s mother, Ronnie. Riri is not presented merely as a replacement for Tony Stark. Her work is rooted in her own grief, Chicago community, and technical ambition. After a traumatic loss connected to Natalie, she develops an artificial-intelligence companion called N.A.T.A.L.I.E., modeled on her friend. The resulting relationship gives the armor-building story an emotional consequence: Riri must decide what it means to recreate someone through technology. The show was produced by Marvel Studios and is one of the MCU’s Disney+ series. Its executive producers include Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Zoie Nagelhout, Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Chinaka Hodge. Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directed episodes. Proximity Media, the company co-founded by Coogler, is among the production companies. Ironheart draws on the Marvel Comics character created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato. Riri first appeared in Invincible Iron Man #7 (2016), and later headlined comic stories under the Ironheart name. Thorne first played the character on screen in 2022’s Wakanda Forever before leading this television series. Chicago is not simply a backdrop in Ironheart: Riri’s return home reconnects her with her family, friends, and the consequences of her choices. The series pairs a coming-home story with heists and armor design, while making the clash between scientific invention and the Hood’s occult power its distinctive MCU premise. Its title directly identifies Riri as Ironheart, rather than Iron Man.