Dominique Thorne Interview: Black Panther Wakanda Forever

Dominique Thorne made her MCU debut as Riri Williams aka Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever focuses on Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, Ramonda, and the entire nation of Wakanda mourning their king, T'Challa, as a new threat reveals itself. Riri Williams draws the attention of Wakanda, Talokan, and the U.S. government with one of her inventions which pulls her into the deadly conflict between Wakanda and Talokan.

With Iron Man gone Riri Williams is expected to step into the role left by his heroic sacrifice. Riri proves her intelligence, engineering skills, and abilities as a hero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It's possible that the events of the movie, Riri seeing Wakanda and learning of Talokan, could lead directly into her solo Disney Plus series Ironheart set to debut in 2023.

Screen Rant spoke with Dominique Thorne about playing Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Thorne shared advice she received from MCU veterans including Robert Downey Jr. and Brie Larson as well as the experience of working with Ryan Coogler to craft her character in the movie and Ironheart series. Thorne also discussed what is at the core of Riri's character and how the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will inform Ironheart.

Dominique Thorne On Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Riri in her Ironheart suit in Wakanda Forever

Screen Rant: Dominique, congratulations. Riri Williams is in the MCU. I know Ryan Coogler directed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and he is the EP on Ironheart. Can you talk to me about collaborating with Ryan Coogler to establish Riri Williams?

I think one thing about that man, Ryan Coogler, is that he knows how to tell a story. He knows how to get to the truth of a person. He knows how to tap into whatever that is about the human experience that draws us in and really connects us. He does that well every time. He's the one who showed me, someone who was in theater every day, that film might be something worth exploring when I saw Fruitvale Station. To get to work with him now and just sort of hear his thoughts and ideas on who Riri is, and how she moves through the world; what she looks like, what she wears her hair like, how she dresses, that she might be a sneaker head? It's just another example of the bits of storytelling that really matter when it comes to encapsulating, or trying to encapsulate, humanity in a person that's fictional. The best guide by far.

Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. It's these nuances that Ryan brings to some of these characters that make them feel real in such a fantastical universe. Riri was confronted with some shocking things in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, including the hidden city of Talokan. How do those events change Riri going into Ironheart?

That's such a good question. It's definitely a question that's best answered by coming over to the series next year, but I definitely think that a lot of what we see with Riri in particular, in Wakanda Forever, is the beginning of her having to reckon with this ambition of hers and really start to understand what it might mean.I think that up until that point, and as it's hinted in the show, 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. I think that sort of confrontation of nothing but her own brilliance and her own genius is a very exciting thing in itself. I think that, if folks were intrigued enough by that, they might find satisfaction over at the series next year too.

Riri Williams assembling her Ironheart suit in Black Panther Wakanda Forever

I know that you talked about working with Ryan and how he understands the character, but what did you want to bring to Riri that wasn't necessarily on the page?

Honestly, the primary thing—this is probably the one and only thing that I hoped to impart—was that she didn't have to look like a traditional genius or a traditional hero, and that she was neither of those things. She was first and foremost a young Black girl. That's it. That's also everything. Then I think it becomes a much more interesting ride to then see how this young black girl, who is also from Chicago and from the South Side, engages with the mysticism of Talokan. Then it becomes more interesting to see what it's like for someone to confront and enter into those spaces, knowing that is her experience. That's the thing that tethers her through everything, and everything else now just becomes another opportunity for adventure.

You just got done working with the amazing cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Can you talk to me about any advice they may have given you as MCU veteran actors, and if any other MCU veteran actors like Robert Downey Jr. had advice as well?

I'd say that the cast on the show really did such a great job of just really walking in their excellence and understanding that their first responsibility was to their character. I think that was a great lesson that I learned day one, probably most explicitly from Danai. She has such clarity about [her], as does the Queen of Wakanda and the royal family, in defining her character. Which was also amplified by the rest of the cast, just with the way that they approached scenes; not being afraid to ask questions or to question certain things that didn't sit right with them because they know the characters best. I think that was a beautiful lesson.

I wasn't able to speak with RDJ before we got into filming or anything, but right toward the conclusion of the film, I actually had the chance to speak with him through FaceTime. A cast mate over on Ironheart had actually done a show with him and connected us, and he had some beautiful words to say about how much he believes that Riri Williams is and should always be her own person, her own thing. That this legacy is headed in the right direction and all the beautiful encouraging things that you hope to hear from the Iron Man himself.

I was also fortunate to speak with Brie Larson. She was really an open book about what her experience was like as a human female trying to play a superhuman female, and just all the things that come along with that. I've been very, very grateful to have some real genuine conversations with people who care about the work. Not only do they do a great job and create characters that we fall in love with, but they also care about the way in which that role and that work is executed.

About Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther 2 Wakanda Forever trailer Letitia Wright as Shuri Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams Ironheart

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Check out our other Black Panther 2 interviews here: