5 Important Things We Want to See in A Potential Ironheart Disney+ Series
Rumors have been swirling about a potential Ironheart Disney+ series. I certainly hope the rumors are true because with Iron Man no longer in the MCU and more people missing the armored Avenger, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce a character like Riri Williams to audiences everywhere
Riri Williams is a relatively new character. She had her comic book debut in May 2016 in Marvel Comics’ The Invincible Iron Man Vol. 2 #7. Fans were ecstatic that a Black girl could be Iron Man’s protégé and carry on his legacy.
For the longest time, I have identified with Tony Stark in nearly every way possible. Sure, I’m a middle class Black girl who knows nothing about engineering and he’s a disgustingly wealthy white man who knows probably too much about engineering, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Because of this, I insisted that my friends stop calling me Riri (my name is Rihaana) and start calling me Stark. So, when a character literally named Riri that looked just like me was announced to become the next Iron Man, I sincerely thought that Marvel had taken my identity for profit. I have since contacted the appropriate authorities regarding the matter, but have yet to hear back from them.
At first glance, it’s easy for people to dismiss Riri as just another Tony Stark character. I don’t blame them; I did the same. An engineering prodigy with a genius-level intellect and issues with authority? That just screams Tony Stark. But after looking into the character, I realized that Riri Williams is very much her own person and I can only hope her possible adaptation honors that.
With that in mind, here’s what I would like to see from an Ironheart series.
I want to see her being raised by women: Many writers think heroism requires tragedy, so it’s no surprise that Riri lost her father, Riri Williams Sr., at a young age. Because of this tragedy, she’s raised by her mother and aunt. I have no doubt that this upbringing affects how she handles things as a young Black women in the world.
I want to see the Champions team-up: The Champions are a roster of young superheroes that decided to break away from The Avengers after Civil War II. The roster has fluctuated since its 2016 debut, but there are a few I would definitely want to see: Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel, Amadeus Cho’s Hulk, Sam Alexander’s Nova, Viv Vision, Lunella Lafayette’s Moongirl, Scott Summers’s Cyclops, and of course, Miles Morales’s Spider-Man.
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I want to see her explore her sexuality: Riri is fifteen, a very vulnerable and formative age. I don’t want her romantic life to drive the plot, but it’s a very important factor for a lot of young teenagers. Viv Vision—the clone child of Vision and his wife, Virginia—has shown some romantic interest towards Riri, but it’s hard to classify this as LGBTQ+ representation because Viv is an android. It would be interesting to explore.
I want to see her encourage other young girls to join STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math): Unfortunately, the people in STEM are mostly men. It’s this lack of representation that discourages young girls from showing interest in the field. When girls in STEM are brought to the forefront in either fiction or reality, more girls will grow up inspired to be doctors, engineers, physicists, and other awesome STEM professions. It is important that any adaptation of Ironheart honor this part of Riri.
I don’t want her to be Tony Stark: It hurts to say it, but we’ve had enough of him. I want to see a new hero who knows what it’s like to have her intellect and spirit ignored because of the color of her skin. I want to see a self-made hero who had to earn their resources. I want to see a dark skinned Black girl help the world with her mind. I want to see Ironheart not Iron Man 2.0.
Do you want an Ironheart Disney series? What do you want to see in it? Let me know in the comments down below!
Nothing but love.
