We have already featured a trailer for the mutant Namor, who it turns out is not a villain but an anti-hero. Now it is time for Marvel to showcase the successor to Tony Stark’s Iron Man. And no, it is not Don Cheadle’s War Machine whom we will next see in Armor Wars. The character who will succeed Stark as the MCU’s tech genius and inventor is Riri Williams played by Dominique Thorne. A new trailer for Black Panther 2 introduces Ironheart as part of the build-up to the premiere of the movie. The new trailer is a collaboration between Marvel Studios with the department store chain Target. The retail giant will also be releasing an exclusive line of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever merchandise as a part of the team-up. The merchandise will include toys, home, apparel, and beauty products. The toy lineup in particular will include the LEGO Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Royal Sea Leopard ship which can only be bought at Target stores. The Black Panther Legacy Collection POP! series from Funko can also be purchased from the retail outlet. The Black Panther Funko Pop toy leaked the new costume design for T’Challa’s successor in the movie. According to a statement from Target about the collaboration, “the release of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be a significant cultural moment, and Target is excited and proud to amplify its joy, inspiration, and purpose, which will be meaningful for our guests and communities we serve across the country.” Target will be hosting 130 community screenings across the U.S. in support of nonprofit organizations.
Who is Riri Williams?
Riri Williams is a 15-year-old engineering student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In her spare time, she builds a suit of armor reminiscent of Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit from materials she steals from the campus. The trailer highlights her genius and finding inspiration from a little girl’s sketch. She creates a heart-shaped arc reactor which symbolizes her superhero name Ironheart. We also get to see her version of the hand-repulsor cannon which sends her flying out of the frame when she tests it out. The scene is reminiscent of when Tony Stark first tested his version of the weapon that he said was a “flight stabilizer” when questioned by Pepper Potts. The key difference between Ironheart in the movie and the comic books is that it was Stark who mentors her as a superhero in the comics. In the current MCU timeline, Stark passed away after he sacrificed himself to use the Infinity Gauntlet to defeat Thanos. She will instead be taken in by Shuri who is reportedly taking the mantle of Black Panther in the MCU. Ironheart’s appearance in the Black Panther sequel sets up the stage for her stand-alone tv series on Disney+. The series will have six episodes and is part of MCU Phase 5. The show will premiere in late 2023. We will get to see more of Riri Williams / Ironheart when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters and on IMAX on November 11, 2023.
