TV Review: ‘Ironheart’ Proves A Strong Addition To The Marvel Cinematic Universe Canon

Ironheart, which debuted last night on Disney+, is a lot like its titular character: scrappy, underestimated, and surprisingly complex. After years of rumors regarding a troubled production, the program emerges as a solid and entertaining addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Picking up an indeterminate time after her appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne) gets expelled from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after her zeal to create an Iron Man-style suit leads to her falling behind in her studies and causing a surprising amount of property damage. Returning to her native Chicago, Ri remains committed to perfecting her suit — the one she built in Wakanda Forever remains in Wakanda — which brings her to the attention of a thief called Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), whose ultimate aim may be more than stealing from the Chicagoland tech sector — especially as his abilities seemed to be magical in nature.

Naturally, that means Ri will face a conflict of technology versus magic.

That premise could make for a very strong Marvel Studios feature film. Indeed, Ironheart feels at times like a movie stretched to television miniseries length. But that added screentime tends to deepen characters like Ri, Parker, and Ri’s onboard AI, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. (Lyric Ross). As an AI containing all of Ri’s memories of her late best friend, Ross steals every single one of her scenes. And through their relationship, Ri becomes a great character. In fact, it also becomes clear why Marvel would want to center a series around Thorne. As the central character, she is nearly every scene, guiding the audience into interactions with Parker, the members of his crew, Ri’s family and friends, and a weak-willed techie played by Alden Ehrenreich. She anchors those scenes and also makes Ri’s drive to complete the suit a more realistic ambition.

Also, everyone she meets gets a moment to shine. In fact, I wish Parker’s crew — which includes Sonia Denis, Shakira Barrera, Zoe Terakes, Shea Couleé, and Manny Montana — had a little bit more to do. In a more conventionally formatted series, they would have plots of their own slowly boil across a longer set of episodes. But Ironheart utilizes the Marvel Studios limited series format and, thus, not everyone gets a meaty story.

Meanwhile the six-episode program is directed by just two people: Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes helming three episodes apiece. The result is a very consistent and beautiful looking series. Also, the Chicago setting means a lot of new locales for a fictional universe mostly centered in the New York area. The new setting also offers little glimpses into how ordinary people live after the events of films like Avengers: Endgame and Doctor Strange. Even in a local White Castle, people know magic is real, aliens can invade at any moment, and there’s always a need for people like Ri on either side of the chaos. That said, the series requires very little knowledge about the MCU beyond, perhaps, the understanding that people know all the fantastical stuff is real. An additional knowledge of a few Iron Man films might be helpful, but in no way required.

I can’t help but wonder if the show would’ve been better served by having Ri debut here instead of in Wakanda Forever. In her own context, with her own set of characters, she become someone whose adventures you want to follow. And, just as in the comics, the context around her matters. Ri feels more natural in this corner of the MCU than in the geopolitical struggle of the Black Panther sequel. That’s not to say she can never participate in bigger Marvel plots, but a six-part miniseries does a truly great job making her a character you want to see in subsequent movies or TV series.

Which leads to the other quibble I have about the show: it sets up a couple of plots that may never be resolved in the remaining years of The Multiverse Saga or, indeed, via a subsequent season of Ironheart. Granted, Marvel Comics can and will come back to a plot point decades after it was established in a random panel, and Marvel Studios may find it wants to come back to these ideas once they’re done with the Multiverse, but like this year’s set of Doctor Who episodes, I’d like to leave a miniseries with far fewer questions about what comes next.

Despite that, though, Ironheart is a strong story. Ri finally comes into her own here with a set of characters supporting her that I genuinely want to spend more time with. While it takes its cues from established MCU lore, it asks very little of its viewer in terms of knowing all of the references. It’s also one of the best looking Marvel shows since the studio took direct control of television production. Some may find its pace and goals less satisfying than I did, but with three episodes available already, I suggest taking time with Ironheart. You’ll likely find the investment of time a worthy one.

Ironheart streams on Disney+.