Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams is next in line to take up Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man mantle and seems like her appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could be her first time suiting up in the armor. Thanks to a Funko Pop, the first look at Ironheart’s Mark I design is out and has noticeable similarities to Tony Stark’s Mk I from 2008’s Iron Man.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teaser continues to win hearts among the masses for keeping Chadwick Boseman’s legacy as T’Challa in front and center of the trailer. But the first promo also paid tribute to RDJ’s Ironman legacy as well with a brief shot of Riri Williams in Shuri’s Lab. She appears again at a later point, shown hammering a piece of metal, similar to Tony Stark. It prompted theories she could be building her first armor. Now, a Funk Pop figurine outright confirms her upcoming suit.
The image shows Williams in her Ironheart alter ego – floating with the help of jet boots attached to her arms and legs. The design doesn’t seem to include repulsor rays, unlike Ironman’s armor which helped in stabilizing his flight movements. There appears to be an arc reactor on her chest and her right hand is armed with an energy canon-type weapon. Readers can check it out below.
First look at #Ironheart’s Mk I design by Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams in @OriginalFunko form! pic.twitter.com/KfH5LWMqhh
— Phase Zero – MCU (@PhaseZeroCB) July 24, 2022
Riri Williams’ role in Black Panther 2 shouldn’t come as a surprise to many MCU fans, especially since set photos showed Thorne filming scenes with Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) at MIT, Boston. In the comics, Riri is a 15-year-old engineering student who bags an MIT scholarship where she designs “the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man.” The character’s arc will continue in her own Disney Plus series, Ironheart. But currently, fans are more interested in her debut and what lies ahead for Williams at the Kingdom of Wakanda.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theatres on November 11.
