Marvel’s Ironheart is another example of a hidden Disney+ gem. The six episodes are ripe with cultural nuance, millennial nostalgia, and yes, heart. Written and created by producer Chinaka Hodge, the first season deals with complex, human ailments such as grief and poverty through the lens of a stubborn teenager. It takes a minute for the episodes to find their groove, but they soon blend ingredients we haven’t tasted since Phase 1 with the newer elements of today’s MCU to make for a refreshing flavor.
Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as 19-year-old Riri Williams, a prodigy scientist who builds new technology simply because “she could.” Her brilliant mind got her a scholarship to MIT at the young age of 15, but it also threatens her status as a student. Her most notable creation is an armored homage to the late Tony Stark’s Iron Man. The thing is, she doesn’t have Tony Stark money or resources, but she has Tony Stark hustle, and that’s what matters in this world.
The arc reactor belongs to Stark Industries only, so Riri’s suit is powered by the sun and wind and funded mainly by illicit means. As fate would have it, the young scientist lacks foresight, and her money-first mentality draws her into the wrong crowd. She finds herself making choices she has never had to make before and questioning every step.
This indecision and uncertainty plagues the rest of the characters as well. They each have a scarred past that makes them fear their future. Riri and her family are grieving the loss of her stepdad and best friend due to a senseless shooting. The new crowd she runs with are all criminals who can’t afford to live an honorable life without getting blackmailed, and a good number of them lie about who they really are because they’re afraid of the truth.
To top it all off, the whole world is still devastated by the death of Iron Man and some want to know if Ironheart has what it takes to step up to the mantle. A dark, sinister force feeds off this vulnerability and doubt, and nobody’s ready for what comes next.
Like most scientists, Riri doesn’t believe in magic much. However, unlike most scientists, Riri witnessed an underwater civilization come to the surface world to wage war in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so it’s safe to say her suspension of disbelief is pretty high. Still, she’s a skeptic and a devout follower of the scientific method. The series does some experimentation of its own by mixing magic with science. Some of it is admittedly hard to follow, but it’s grounded in what has already been established in the universe. To our benefit, Riri narrates and tests out each theory to explain her findings. It’s in these moments, these eurekas, that we feel Riri’s triumph.
The fight choreography is also one big experiment. Riri’s not a very skilled fighter per se, but she thinks quickly on her feet and manages to stay one step ahead of her opponent. What she lacks in foundational skills, she more than makes up for with her resourcefulness. Even without the suit, she’s a formidable foe because she wastes nothing and makes her environment fight for her. Several fight sequences are reminiscent of Tony Stark without his suit in Iron Man 3.
Much like Stark did, Riri makes quick battle decisions and uses science as a weapon. She starts chemical reactions with whatever she can find, uses simple physics to overpower the bigger bad guys, and consistently outsmarts everyone in the room. The action scenes with the suit aren’t nearly as interesting, but they do highlight the brute strength of the Ironheart armor.
Riri shares Tony’s gifts, but she also shares his flaws. For one, she has a remarkable guilty complex. This isn’t too much of a surprise for survivors of gun violence, but it doesn’t make it any easier to watch. Riri somehow holds herself responsible for what happened to her stepdad and friend that day and thinks it’s up to her alone to keep her loved ones safe. As far as she can tell, she’s the only thing that stands between Chicago and dark magic.
Acute anxiety is expected after trauma as well, and Riri’s no stranger to the superhero panic attack. Thorne plays the panic well, perfectly capturing what fight or flight looks like with just a facial expression. Fortunately, she has a much more stable support system than Tony ever did. Her mom (Anji White) and friends Natalie (Lyric Ross) and Xavier (Matthew Elam) guide her through the mourning process, reminding her that there’s a reason why she keeps breaking down. As her stepdad used to say, “Break yourself down to see what you’re made of.”
Broken down, Ironheart is made of compassion. The writing doesn’t shy away from tough topics like death and the morality of AI, but it leaves room for ignorance and dissent. Not every character agrees on what the right solution is, but they all recognize the problem. In one way or another, the characters are plagued by a lack of compassion, whether it be for others or themselves. This is best depicted in characters like Joe McGillicuddy (Alden Ehrenreich) and Parker Robins (Anthony Ramos). Both hate who they are and jump at any opportunity to change, even if that change is for the worse. At the end of the day, only grace and compassion can save them.
Ironheart is made of Black culture. Riri is a Black girl with Black friends and Black neighbors. She wears her hair in goddess twists throughout most of the series. She memorized Jay-Z and Beyoncé lyrics growing up. There’s even a Black Lives Matter banner in her room that’s impossible to miss. Xavier says, “Hey, Black people,” whenever he enters a room. They all speak in affectionate slang and dress like it’s still the ’90s. It cannot be overstated just how Black this show really is. They got Chaka Khan on the soundtrack.
Perhaps this Blackness is why this gem is so hidden. Marvel and Disney have been collectively doing very little to promote the show. When it was announced, thousands of online bigots slithered out of their caves to brush it off as another attempt to turn a white character into a Black character. Little did they know that Riri Williams had been a character in the comics since 2018. Certainly not nearly as old as Tony Stark, but she’s not a “woke” character Marvel created yesterday to change the status quo. She’s her own character with her own story, and she was made to stand on her own.
Nevertheless, Disney and Marvel have done very little in response to this racist backlash. The series hasn’t gotten nearly as much press as other MCU shows, but it’s about a character who debuted in a film that grossed over $850 million worldwide. Ironheart is profitable, especially when co-produced by Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler. However, with the current state of this nation and the policies that the entertainment industry as a whole seem to be adopting, it’s clear that Disney/Marvel Studios didn’t promote Ironheart to the best of its ability because the series is progressive, meanwhile it is a very entertaining and exceptional television show that the breathes new life to the MCU.
There’s a Black non-binary tech wizard played by drag queen Shea Couleé. They’re not politicized. A few pride flags fly across the city, and Riri’s mom practically asks her if she’s hiding girls in her room. These moments aren’t politicized either. They’re just there. The details are minor and ultimately add nothing to the story except authenticity, but it would give today’s average conservative a heart attack. Go watch it!
Rating: 7.5/10