Everything To Know About The Ironheart Series On Disney+

The conflict caused by Riri Williams’ tech in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be over for now — but a whole new series will follow the young scientist as she assumes the Ironheart mantle and, surely, faces more dangerous foes. Yes, Disney+ is making an Ironheart series based on the “genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man,” per Marvel.

Dominique Thorne will reprise her role as Riri in the series and recently opened up to Screen Rant about how Wakanda Forever will impact her character’s own show. The film saw “the beginning of her having to reckon with this ambition of hers and really start to understand what it might mean,” Thorne explained. “I think that up until that point ... she’s moving through MIT. She’s got her own little side business going, making a deal over there until she has a reason to look up quite literally and see these larger worlds that are in front of her that she now has no choice but to face.”

So, when will Ironheart come out next year? Here’s everything you need to know about the new series so far — from its growing cast to its comic source material and release window, too.

Ironheart In The Marvel Comics

Riri Williams’ Ironheart is one of the newest members of the Marvel canon, making her first appearance six years ago in 2016’s Invincible Iron Man. Here, a young Riri’s extreme intelligence isolates her from the hum-drum world around her. “As we fill her mind,” a psychologist told Riri’s parents, “it’s up to you ... to fill her heart and soul. You need to show her the beauty of this world. Remind her to experience life.” Riri spent much of her time building machines and tinkering with tech on her own but did have one friend named Natalie. Tragically, both Riri’s stepdad and Natalie were killed in a shooting.

Eventually, the young engineer’s high-tech hobbies caught the attention of Tony Stark, who supported her efforts with both physical tech and guidance by way of his A.I. essence (since he was in a coma at the time). It was Tony who helped Riri arrive at the alias of Ironheart, a symbolic nod to her lost loved ones and the armored suit — both literal and emotional — she wears to cope.

Ironheart Series Cast

Thorne, whose previous film credits include If Beale Street Could Talk and Judas and the Black Messiah, was personally picked for Riri, which came to her via surprise phone call. She opened up about the experience to Empire in March, saying, “I was waiting for them to say, like, ‘Oh, we’ll send you the sides’, or, ‘Get your tape over to us.’ But there was none of that.” She continued, “It was just like, ‘Would you like to do this?’ It was probably the most unique experience I’ve ever had because there was no audition at all.”

On Feb. 9, Deadline reported Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos will star in the series in a “key role” that’s been compared to Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Basically, that means he might be introduced in this series and go on to have a substantial role in multiple MCU titles.

A few weeks later, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that This Is Us star Lyric Ross will take on the role of Riri’s best friend, possibly making her the newest MCU sidekick. Sonia Denis, Manny Montana, and Alden Ehrenreich are also part of the cast, per Variety.

Thorne’s Wakanda Forever co-stars like Letitia Wright and Danai Gurira have not yet been announced, but it seems plausible that we’d see them, too, especially since they were the ones who recruited Riri in the film.

Ironheart Series Plot

Plot specifics on Ironheart have yet to be released, but the series has the potential to tie into the greater MCU in a significant way. Not only is Riri connected to the high-tech world of Wakanda, but the character also worked with Blade — yes, the vampire hunter himself — in recent comics. If that connection carries over to the Disney+ series, it could set up the upcoming Blade movie.

Because the character of Ironheart pulls inspiration (and some very advanced tech) from Iron Man, there’s also reason to wonder if the series will explore Tony Stark’s legacy in depth. Riri even partnered with Pepper Potts at one point in the comics, so there’s definitely a chance we could check in on the family in Ironheart.

Ironheart Series Potential Release Date & Trailer

Marvel has not yet announced a release date for Ironheart, and a trailer will still be some time away — but we do have a rough idea of when to expect the show. Disney announced that it would be arriving on Disney+ in fall 2023.

This post will be updated with the trailer, release date, and additional plot details as more information on Ironheart becomes available.