The following contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, now playing in theaters.
Throughout Phase Four, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has laid the seeds for multiple new characters, allowing the legacies of numerous heroic roles to expand and grow in new ways. One of the big ones that has been lacking a true successor, however, is Iron Man, whose protégé Spider-Man was forced to take a far smaller role in the universe going forward. But Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes a long way toward amending that.
One of the main characters of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is Riri Williams, a young inventor who crafts her own version of Iron Man's armor to become Ironheart. But she's notably not the only hero who gets exo-armor in the film -- with Shuri's latest inventions effectively giving Wakanda multiple Iron Women.
Wakanda Forever Introduces the Newest Armored Avenger
At the heart of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the fate of Riri Williams. A brilliant young inventor attending MIT, her inventions set off the film's conflict -- as a drill prototype she designed ends up being co-opted by the United States Government as part of its plans to find more vibranium. As a result, Riri becomes a target of Namor and the Talokan people -- forcing Riri to flee her school alongside Shuri and Okoye to avoid detection and potential execution. Along the way, Shuri discovers that the young woman has actually been tinkering with her own version of an Iron Man armor -- and the suit proves very useful to their attempts to escape, allowing Riri to hold her own in a fight.
Eventually finding herself in Wakanda, Riri is granted access to the nation's technology and uses it to construct her own fully realized armor -- the second Ironheart prototype. As a result, Riri is able to take part in the film's final battle, squaring off with Namora and providing aerial support against Namor and the rest of the Talokan forces. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends with Riri returning to the United States, with her upcoming series on Disney+, Ironheart, promising that Riri will likely follow further down Tony Stark's path to create plenty of other variants of the armor. Notably, though, she's not the only Wakanda-aligned woman to end up with a powerful new suit of armor.
Wakanda Forever's Shuri Creates Suits for More Iron Women
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A large portion of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever focuses on the ways Shuri is still grieving the loss of her brother T'Challa -- which is only compounded when her mother Ramonda is killed while rescuing Riri during an assault on the nation's capital. Synthesizing a new version of the heart-shaped herb, Shuri gains the power of the Black Panther and creates her own variation of the suit, complete with all the powerful advantages and perks that enhanced T'Challa when he was in the field. But the suit notably has a couple of other advantages that grant it some specifically Iron Man vibes. The suit can morph at times, allowing Shuri to deploy the sonic-based ranged weapons she used in the prior film. It also carries Shuri's personalized A.I. assistant, Griot, who operates very much as her own version of Jarvis.
This isn't even the only suit Shuri constructed, as it turns out she also developed a suit based on the Midnight Angel designs from Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze's run on the Black Panther series. These suits function more similarly to Iron Man armor, providing the users with enhanced strength, durability, and weaponry. Both Okoye and the Dora Milaje warrior Aneka get access to the suit -- with the latter particularly loving the energy knives that Shuri designs to go with them. Despite not caring for the technological shift, Okoye eventually adjusts to the armor (especially when she finds out hers comes with an enhanced spear), and she uses it to defeat Attuma during the film's climactic battle.
It's an exciting development for the MCU and Wakanda, as it means that even as Shuri ends Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leaving to spend time away from the throne with Nakia (and her newly discovered nephew) in Haiti, there are some serious protectors of Wakanda left to guard the nation. The Dora Milaje have proven capable of holding their own against almost any human (and quite a few aliens) threats, but with these suits -- and Ironheart to call upon if the situation becomes dire enough -- the nation now has its own Iron Women around to call upon in extreme situations.
To meet the MCU's new Iron Women, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters.