Even though he’s been dead since Avengers: Endgame, the shadow of Tony Stark continues to loom large over the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it feels as though that’s not going to change anytime soon.
Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home saw Peter Parker continue to live by many of the life lessons and nuggets of wisdom bestowed upon him by the longtime Iron Man, and we’ve still got Ironheart and Armor Wars to come – both of which will feature plenty of references to the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.
While constantly evoking Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic tenure under the suit isn’t going to be beneficial in the long run, fans already approve of the recent Ironheart promo spot that saw Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams pull of a decidedly Tony-esque maneuver while trying out her homemade costume during the testing phase.
Several of the most fun scenes across the Iron Man trilogy involved little more than Tony tinkering in his workshop, and Riri could be the perfect candidate to bridge the gap between the MCU’s past and its future. If you think about, she’ll debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before spinning off into her own solo series – so she’ll already have played a major role on both the big and small screens.
She’ll additionally have established ties to Wakanda and eventually Stark Industries, as well as Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, too, while Anthony Ramos’ villain The Hood also opens a doorway into the supernatural and mystical sides of the mythology. Don’t dismiss Ironheart as an Iron Man wannabe, then, because she’s got the potential to become one of the Multiverse Saga’s most pivotal figures from a purely canonical sense.
