Disclaimer: The following article contains full spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverWith the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), which is easily one of the most anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe projects since Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), the film is set to introduce a few new heroes to the constantly expanding MCU canon. Certainly one of the biggest examples of that is crowning a new Black Panther to carry on the all-to-short legacy of Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa, and then there's also the introduction of Marvel's equivalent to Aquaman, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), who is commonly both friend and foe to the heroes of the Marvel comics. In addition, there is one more major character making their debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that we're set to learn more about quite soon.
That character is Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), better known to comic fans as the "Invincible Ironheart," the successor to the armored hero who started the MCU as we know it, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Though Williams has only been a part of the Marvel comics continuity for a relatively short time, she has amassed enough popularity to get her very own Disney+ series, which will premiere on the streamer in 2023. Even though we'll have to wait another year for Riri to get her own story, her introduction in Wakanda Forever certainly sets up what we can expect to see from the upcoming show.
Who is Riri Williams?
Riri Williams made her Marvel Comics debut in 2017, introduced as a young genius who was accepted into MIT at an extremely young age. She lived in a family consisting of her mother, stepfather, and sister, with her biological father, Riri Williams Sr., having died before her birth. We find out later that Riri Williams Sr. is very much alive and has a connection to the Ten Rings, which could potentially make its way into the MCU and pay off the "Ten Rings Will Return" tease seen at the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Though Riri was well on the road to success at MIT, her life came crashing down after tragedy struck when her stepdad and best friend were unintended casualties of a drive-by shooting.
Though the tragic losses understandably impacted Riri's mental health, they did little to sway her resolve, as the senseless act of violence made her want to become a crimefighting vigilante. She took inspiration from one of her favorite heroes, Tony Stark, constructing her own armor to take on evil wherever it may be. Eventually, she crossed paths with Stark and he recruited Riri to join the second Civil War conflict, but when Stark was knocked into a coma, Williams filled the Iron Man-shaped void and officially became the Invincible Ironheart.
How Does Riri Williams Fit Into 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'?
Even though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is very much the introduction of Riri Williams into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it isn't exactly her origin story. By the time Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) track down and meet Riri, she, just like the comics, is a native of Chicago, currently enrolled as a student at MIT, and has already begun working on her very own Iron suit for quite some time. The scientific advancements that Williams has already achieved at the age of 19 have even caught the attention of the U.S. Government, particularly her creation that is able to detect the most elusive metal on the planet.
That metal of course is Vibranium - the ultra-powerful and highly sought-after mineral once thought to be found only in Wakanda that is entirely impervious to metal detectors. Riri is able to create the first and only device capable of detecting Vibranium, and though Riri intended for its usage to be purely for scientific purposes, the government decided to use it to see if there was any Vibranium in the Atlantic Ocean. They indeed found it, but they also found Namor and the Talocanil - the underwater civilization who killed everyone apart from the expedition, interpreting this as the first act of human aggression against them.
Namor blames Riri's invention as the reason for the trespassing Americans and demands the scientist responsible for its creation be brought to him for execution, leading to his first meeting with Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri. Namor asks them to retrieve the scientist for him, but it doesn't take long for them to discover that this "scientist" is a young and innocent college student and the Wakandan royal family realizes they cannot let Namor kill her. The U.S. government also gets wind of this and tries to apprehend Riri, Shuri, and Okoye, which finally leads to Shuri's first flight in her prototype Ironheart armor, in a sequence that feels very reminiscent of Tony Stark's first flight in the Mark II Iron Man armor all the way back in his first film.
Eventually, Riri properly joins Shuri and the rest of Wakanda in a final battle against the Talocanil, using Wakanda's resources to fashion herself a far more advanced Ironheart suit that she's able to properly take flight in. When she's about to take off back home to the United States, Riri also tells Shuri to look her up in Chicago should she ever need anything.
Riri's Stepfather and Brother
When preparing for the fight against Namor, Riri mentions two very important people in her life - her stepfather and brother. She says her stepfather was a skilled mechanic, but she got her technical prowess from her brother. From our comics knowledge, we know about Riri's stepfather who died in that fatal drive-by shooting incident, but the mention of this version of Riri having a brother is an interesting development. The comics only mention a sister to Riri and not a brother, though we'll likely find out more about her family come her spin-off series.
What Can We Expect to See in 'Ironheart'?
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and executive producer of Ironheart, Ryan Coogler, shed a bit more light on the upcoming solo series at D23 Expo this year, even showing some behind-closed-doors footage from the then still-filming series. The footage shows that Riri does indeed return to her hometown of Chicago. Feige and Coogler confirmed that the show will be all about Tech vs. Magic. Riri obviously represents tech, and she'll be facing off against Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) as The Hood - a deadly crime kingpin whose titular hood grants him demonic abilities.
After Ironheart, it's very likely we'll see Riri Williams in the MCU again, possibly in the upcoming adaptation of Armor Wars starring Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, AKA War Machine, who of course is someone who has a deep connection to Riri's favorite hero.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out now in theaters.