The upcoming Ironheart series may be a continuation of Riri Williams’ story, but showing her origins would be the ultimate Iron Man tribute. In the comics, Riri is directly influenced by Tony Stark until she eventually takes over his mantle. Having the Ironheart series delve into Riri’s past would both cement her place as Iron Man’s replacement and shine a light on Tony’s true legacy in the MCU.

In the comics, Riri’s first big project is her prototype version of the Iron Man suit. The influence of Iron Man can be seen in her MCU suit in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, even after the Wakandans enhance it with vibranium, but Tony is never truly mentioned by Riri. If the MCU were to follow Riri’s comic story, showing parts of Riri’s origins in the Ironheart series would give Marvel a chance to make Iron Man’s legacy even better.

Related: How Powerful & Smart Is Riri Williams Compared To Iron Man?

Riri Williams' Origin Would Better Show Iron Man's Arc & Growth

riri williams aka ironheart in black panther wakanda forever and ironheart

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does a good job of establishing Riri’s genius and her incredible inventing talent, but not much is said about how she got into it besides that she did it growing up. If the Ironheart series is going to pick up from the events of Wakanda Forever, Riri will have to start over with a new suit. This will still give a chance for an origin story of sorts as she’ll have to construct the suit and establish herself as a hero, and this is where the MCU could bring up Riri’s Tony connection.

A genius inventor himself and one of Earth’s mightiest and most selfless heroes, Tony Stark is an inspiration to many in the MCU. These traits are some that early-MCU Iron Man would’ve never been known for and only comes after a decade of Tony’s character growth. If the Ironheart series were to expand on Riri’s origins and establish her Iron Man connection, the MCU would have an opportunity to give Tony the ultimate payoff. Describing the aftermath of his death and having his sacrifice influence Riri in some way would cement the fact that Tony Stark had become a true, selfless hero after years of growth.

Will The MCU Still Connect Riri Williams' Origin So Directly To Iron Man?

Riri Williams poses and leans on the Iron Man helmet

In the comics, Riri's first experience as a superhero is when Tony recruits her for the second Civil War, and she decides to continue his legacy after he falls into a coma. Riri’s story has always been directly tied to Iron Man’s, and even though she’s basically confirmed as the MCU’s Iron Man replacement, Wakanda Forever only makes their connection seem more incidental. Perhaps this is Marvel’s way of not having to reference Iron Man as much in the Ironheart series and leaving Tony’s legacy to rest.

Not much is known about the Ironheart show besides that it is a continuation of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With Riri’s suit being kept in Wakanda, she will have to go through a journey to build a new one. Now that she has tasted superhero duties, the series will likely detail her growth as the MCU’s official Iron Man replacement. Whether Marvel chooses to make the series a complete sequel or touch on parts of Riri’s origins here and there, Iron Man and Tony Stark’s legacy is bound to come up in Ironheart one way or another.

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