An upcoming Marvel Legends based on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Ironheart has seemingly been revealed in new images that have shown up across social media.
The images show Riri Williams in what is likely the final version of her Ironheart armor. Dominique Thorne, who is best known for her roles in If Beale Street Could Talk and Judas and the Black Messiah, will portray the future Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero in Wakanda Forever. While it is currently unknown at this time how Riri will factor into the sequel's plot, trailers have suggested that she has a close friendship with T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright).
Created by Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato, Eve Ewing, and Kevin Libranda, Riri Williams first appeared in Marvel Comics' Invincible Iron Man #7 in 2016 as a 15-year-old genius and MIT student who reverse engineered Tony Stark's technology to create her own suit of armor. As Ironheart, she has been affiliated with both the Young Avengers and the Champions. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will serve as Ironheart's live-action debut, the character previously appeared in the animated special Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron and the animated series Marvel's Spider-Man, both times voiced by Sofia Wylie.
Who Will Be the Next Black Panther?
The upcoming MCU sequel will find the leaders of Wakanda fighting to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. Following Chadwick Boseman's passing in 2020, Marvel Studios confirmed that T'Challa would not be recast and that the character's absence would be addressed in Wakanda Forever. Wright, who shared multiple scenes with her on-screen brother in the first Black Panther, recently opened up about filming the sequel without Boseman. "It was hard for me to imagine being on set without my brother," the actor said. "It was something I was battling for months. The confidence that [Ryan Coogler] felt that he heard Chadwick just give him that gentle push forward, to continue. And the way that Ryan would express that it was bigger than all of us, and Chad would have wanted us to continue. That really encouraged me." While Marvel Studios has not yet confirmed who will be taking on the mantle of Black Panther in the MCU, multiple reports have suggested that Wright's Shuri will become the next Black Panther in the film.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will also set up the Disney+ series Ironheart, which will further explore Riri Williams' place in the MCU. While plot details on the upcoming solo series remain scarce, Anthony Ramos was recently confirmed as The Hood, a misfit who dons a hood that allows him to tap into dark arts and magic. The first season will consist of six episodes and will be part of Phase 5 of the MCU. Filming began in June 2022 and is expected to last until mid-October.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters on November 11 while Ironheart is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in late 2023.
Source: Twitter