Black Panther 2 will showcase Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams as a spiritual successor of Tony Stark and it seems like the young superhero’s suit of armor will also take notes from Iron Man’s blueprint. New merchandise has unveiled the first look at Ironheart donning a red exoskeleton suit in the upcoming Wakanda Forever flick, the last title of Phase 4.
Marvel Studios has a lot riding on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, for starters, the sequel will mark Namor the Sub-Mariner’s (Tenoch Huerta) first appearance, as shown in trailers. In addition, Thorne’s first look was also revealed in the SDCC trailer showing her possibly working on the Mark I suit. Speaking of, An earlier toy figurine from Funko leaked the skin design of the first suit which shared DIY similarities with Stark’s Mark I. Though it seems Williams’ follow-up will be a direct inspiration of the red armor.
The upgrade includes a black palate headgear, and the arms are also padded with what seems like an extra layer of armor, the only difference compared to Iron Man’s suit. Riri’s Ironheart symbol is at the center and extends out to the belly. Perhaps it’s a newly improved Unibeam, the particle weapon which bursts out energy blast from Iron Man’s chest. Readers can see it below (via: The Direct).
BREAKING: Here's the first look at #Ironheart's upgraded armor design in BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER! More new photos: https://t.co/Ff0WqWaRCJ pic.twitter.com/Z4zzMazK37
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) August 23, 2022
Official new BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER promo art shows #Ironheart's upgraded armor alongside Shuri! More photos: https://t.co/Ff0WqWaRCJ pic.twitter.com/17Ni3OKr8d
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) August 23, 2022
Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has left a vacuum that still continues to cause heartache for fans, especially when Tony Stark’s memory remains strong in shows like She-Hulk. While filling in RDJ’s shoes could seem overwhelming for Thorne, the continued support from fans to see her Ironheart iteration explored has made her debut in Black Panther 2 more exciting. Riri Williams arc’ will continue in her own series set for Disney Plus.
Speculations indicate the presumed Mark II Ironheart armor for Riri Williams will be built by the Wakandans, most likely with Shuri’s (Letitia Wright) direct involvement. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since Wakanda’s tech helped Tony create Nanotech that’s prevalently shown in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Furthermore, they also designed the winged Vibranium-made Captain America suit for Sam in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
It will be interesting to see Riri’s transformation from being a normal MIT student to fighting alongside Wakanda. Her role is rumored to be pivotal in the sequel’s story which explores the conflict between Namor’s underwater delvers and Wakanda.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in theatres on November 11.
