What to Remember About Ironheart’s Role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
As Ironheart moves on to her next chapter, let's look back at where she started.
Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, is an exciting and relatively new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Based on the comic book character of the same name and played by Dominique Thorne, she's set to lead her own upcoming series, Ironheart. But before you see what that show has to offer for Riri, it's probably a good idea to remember where she got her start.
Specifically, it's a good idea to remember the epic that is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the second film in the Black Panther franchise which introduced Riri and a host of other characters and concepts to the wider MCU. Now that Riri's getting her own show, it's a perfect time to revisit the film, and lucky for all of us, it's airing this weekend on SYFY. Let's take a closer look at Riri's origins.
Ironheart's role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Wakanda Forever is primarily concerned with the survival of the Wakandan kingdom after the sudden death of their king, T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman). While T'Challa's mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) leads the kingdom, his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) resists the idea of reviving the Black Panther mantle.
Then, disaster strikes when an America team uses a newly built vibranium detector to find a deposit of the legendary metal underwater, triggering an attack by the previously hidden underwater kingdom of Talokan and its leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Believing that the Wakandans are responsible for the rising vibranium race, Namor demands they find the inventor of the vibranium detector and hand them over, or risk war.
That inventor? None other than Riri Williams, a student at MIT who's a brilliant engineer operating on a fellowship from Tony Stark's foundation. Hoping to protect Riri from death, Shuri heads to America, only to be abducted by Namor and sent into his underwater kingdom. After they escape, Shuri and Riri return to Wakanda, where Riri aids the Wakandans in preparing for battle against the Talokan.
The main thrust of the story is Shuri's journey and eventual rise as the new Black Panther, but Riri is of course a key part of the journey. She's a young, brilliant, determined genius who unwittingly set off a war between two storied kingdoms, brought the Talokani to light, and heightened the vibranium race around the world. But the Wakandans are determined to save her, and she's in turn determined to help them. In the climax of the film, Riri debuts her Ironheart suit for the first time, setting the stage for future adventures in Marvel films and series, which will now continue in her own upcoming show.
Want to know about Riri's story? Catch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Sunday, June 29 on SYFY. Check the Schedule for details.
