This week’s premiere ofIronheartis exciting for no small number of reasons. Not only doesMarvel’s latest Disney+ series have the potential to capitalize on the success ofits other recent television releases, such asDaredevil: Born AgainandAgatha All Along, butDominique Thorne’s second outing as Riri Williams is also introducing audiences to the MCU’s newest armored hero. Inheriting the mantle ofRobert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in a new cinematic era,the series is sure to pay homage to the cornerstone of the franchisewhile also delivering a proper introduction to Williamsafter her limited MCU debutinBlack Panther:Wakanda Forever. Moreover, while we don’t yet have a clear picture of the series' endgame or in-universe connections,Ironheartis already drawing attention toa mistake the MCU made with its previous armored avenger.
Throughout the show’s promotion, one ofIronheart’s biggest draws has, understandably, been its showcasing of Riri’s new suits of armor. Despite her misadventures in Wakanda,trailer shots of Riri piecing together her suitmake it clear thatshe’s still a superhero working on a budget, drawing a stark (pun intended) contrast to her richer-than-god predecessor and ensuring her armor is far more grounded. While this extra workload is undoubtedly a strain on the character, it also can’t help but feel like a refreshing throwback, a return to more relatable days when fans got to see Tony Stark worry about atmospheric freezing problems and plummeting power levels. As a result,Ironheart’s armoris already more exciting to watchcompared to Iron Man’s later suits, proving that Marvel never should have equipped Tony Stark with overpowered upgrades in the first place.
Iron Man’s Nanotech Was a Notable Misstep of Marvel’s Infinity Saga
It’s easy to see why Marvel believed Tony needed a massive upgrade to continue taking the lead in its franchise, especially while contending withthe threat of Thanos(Josh Brolin) throughout Phase Three. Not only is it in-characterfor Tony Stark to continually invent newmethods to protect the Earth, but the character’s later suits kept pace with the rapidly expanding aesthetic of the MCU’s cosmic cast. That said, the introduction ofTony’s nanotech armor inAvengers: Infinity Warwas a step too far. After watching Tony invent remote-controlled suits of armor, sleek detachable armor, and deploy the Hulkbuster inAvengers: Age of Ultron,his nanotech upgrade felt like a narrative cop-out, one that distracted from precisely what made Tony Stark so likable in the first place.
From the moment Tony manages to build a global superweapon out of a box of scraps in a cavein the firstIron Man, the character’s ingenuity and resolve become his greatest strengths, and what makes the character so fun to watch is his ability to seeminglymaneuver his way out of any situation using only his inventiveness. Therefore, watching Tony burn through scrappy prototypes and get his armor reduced to scraps over and over again underscores the character’s ability to bounce back, as well asmaking the MCU’s greatest hero feel vulnerable. In a universe now filled with gods, monsters, and sorcerers, the franchise’s ultimate magic act is the fact that Iron Man’s scrappy armor essentially turned a billionaire intoone of the Earth’s most relatable heroes.
When Iron Man eventually uses nanotech in the MCU, however, Tony Stark barely feels human at all. After all, it took the literal Mad Titan himself to wear out Iron Man’s nano defenses, and there’s seeminglyno limit to the practical applications of the technology. While the new suit’s design is certainly sleek, its appearance also solidified the MCU’s transition frommore practical effects to a primary reliance on CGI, making Iron Man at times feel more like a video game character than a man in a suit in danger of losing his life. All of which is to say that the decision to upgrade Iron Man in such a drastic way feels, in hindsight, likea misstep that deviated fromthe grounded moments that made Iron Manso compelling. Thankfully, this misstep is one thatIronheartalready appears to be rectifying.
‘Ironheart’ Producer Teases the Surprising Link Between Riri Williams & Two Iconic TV Antiheroes
She’s an anti-hero in the making.
‘Ironheart’ Has The Chance To Learn From the Mistakes the MCU Made With Iron Man
By refusing to give Riri Williams immediate access to the kind of advanced technology that has seriously enhanced characters like Spider-Man (Tom Holland) in the past,Ironheartisbringing the MCU back to its basics. Similarly, without access to the kind of fortune that can buy a scientist the power to play god, the series sets Riri Williams up to be an armored hero with a much more vulnerable origin, one that emphasizes the lethal danger she facesby demonstrating how her suits can be more easily broken. Finally, by discarding the nanotech concept for the series,Ironheartcan better showcase Riri’s inventive nature, depriving her of what essentially amounts to a get-out-of-peril-free-card in favor of science’s usual startup challenges. These obstacles will only strengthen Riri’s place in the franchise, potentially even introducingan intellect more impressive than Iron Man’sinventions.
Giving Riri more practical suits of armor also bodes well forIronheart’s action sequences. Even though Iron Man’s confrontations with Thanos and nanotech battles remain undeniably exhilarating, the truth is thatsome of Iron Man’s older battlesare still his most riveting. Tony’s battle against the Hammer drones alongside War Machine (Don Cheadle) at the end ofIron Man2, for instance, is still visually epic, and even Tony’s confrontation with Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in the originalIron Manfeels more intense thanmany modern MCU fightsbecause of its more grounded effects. Therefore, by starting Riri out on roughly the same technological level as these films,Ironheartcan combine the MCU’s current filmmaking experience with its old intensityto deliver truly memorable conflicts.
WhileIronheart’s approach to its signature armor does highlightone of the MCU’s previous missteps, the show’s choice to embrace a more grounded take on its protagonist alsoproves the franchise can evolve beyond one of its most high-profile narrative decisions. With the MCU’sextensive reshoots onDaredevil: Born Againand the underdog release ofThunderbolts*both bearing fruit this year,Ironheartrepresents the latest of the MCU’s attempts to reinvigorate its franchise. After suffering from years of inconsistent quality throughout the 2020s, the series promises to redefine the mega-franchise’s mantle of Iron Man for the next generation,even if Riri Williams' legacy has to be built from scratch.
