Commentary: ‘Ironheart’ Wisely Took A Different Direction Than ‘Iron Man’

There’s no denying that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) was the cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The entire franchise began with the first Iron Man movie, and he was the only hero to have a second solo installment before the first Avengers film. After his death in Avengers: Endgame, it’s no surprise that his loss had a huge impact on the universe that rippled out into other films. It’s natural for Ironheart, another hero in a suit of armor, to feel like a successor to that role. In many ways, the Ironheart series acts like a continuation of the Iron Man franchise, but it’s smartly goes in its own direction with one simple inclusion: magic.

The limited series starts off with Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) struggling to finance her dreams of becoming a world-renowned inventor. In order to make some quick cash, she finds herself employed by the Hood (Anthony Ramos) in his gang of thieves. When they eventually find themselves at odds with one another, Ri is forced to turn to magic in order to combat the Hood’s power source, which is primarily demonic-based opposed to the tech she is familiar with.

Seeing Riri making her suits from scratch definitely gives off the feeling of an Iron Man story. Also, including Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich), the son of the first Iron Man villain, as a secondary villain gives credence to the Iron Man legacy. But the series wisely doesn’t try to imitate the Iron Man franchise completely. In all of his solo films, Iron Man stays rooted in the theme of technology. He never ventures into the realm of fantasy. However, the Hood is undeniably a fantasy villain. Including magic in the show takes the character into a different direction that Iron Man never ventured on his own. It was a smart decision that allowed the series to feel both familiar and new at the same time.

Ironheart is now streaming on Disney+.