For 15 years, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) was the lynchpin of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. He might be gone now, but he’s a pillar of the franchise — and not only because Downey is somehow returning as Doctor Doom in the next Avengers movie. Iron Man was the MCU’s first official hero, and his presence reshaped the history of his universe. Sure, he had a hand in creating his share of villains, but he also set an example for the next generation of heroes. That worked well for someone like Spider-Man (who, in the MCU, gets the mentorship relationship with Iron Man that Ironheart originally had)... but when it comes to Ironheart, Tony’s demise couldn’t be more inconvenient.
With an Iron Man-shaped vacuum in the universe, Ironheart had to get creative with its heroine’s origin story. The series circumvents the Tony Stark problem by surrounding Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) with a new support system, an ensemble of mostly Black women to whom she can turn when the going gets rough. Riri even creates an ally in the form of N.A.T.A.L.I.E., an AI companion based on memories of her best friend (Lyric Ross). And for all the thorny ethical questions N.A.T.A.L.I.E.’s existence brings to the fore, Ross’ performance — and her revolving door of cute outfits — made the character an instant fan favorite. It’s become something of a full-circle moment for Ross, who’s been waiting a long time to deliver Ironheart to the fans.
