Iron Girl Riri Williams Wants to Be an Iron Man Girl

For decades, Marvel fans have marveled at billionaire weapons inventor Tony Stark’s uncanny ability to fly through the air and fight super villains as Iron Man. Now, 15-year-old whiz kid Riri Williams has the chance to do just that as she carries on Stark’s legacy in her own Disney Plus series titled Ironheart. It’s the latest move that aims to transform a superhero team that has more white dudes than a Harold Bloom syllabus into a squad that better reflects the world off the comic book page.

Riri first appeared in INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (2015) #7 as a young girl who was fascinated by Stark’s technology and decided to create her own suit of armor. She quickly captured the hearts of many fans with her steadfast dedication to her work and the fact that she wouldn’t be interrupted, even by her mother. The character went on to make her mark in the MCU by battling villains such as the Techno Golem and Biohack Ninja, and she even made it on the list of the Champions after she defeated some members of the M.I.T. security staff.

It wasn’t long before Riri caught the eye of her tech idol and hero, Tony Stark, who gave his stamp of approval to her armor. The pair then worked together as crime-fighting superheroes. Riri was also a big part of the second Marvel Civil War, where she stood with Captain Marvel and helped to take down the mad titan Thanos.

Riri was given her own Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart comic series in 2016. The story provided a more in-depth look at her past and her family life. It was during this time that she started to break free from being viewed as a “girl version of Iron Man,” and she began to come into her own as a superhero.

The series also introduced fans to the concept of her Aunt Sharon, who raised her following the death of her mother and stepfather. The story also saw her face off against her nemesis Jackson Arvad, AKA the Biohack Ninja.

While it’s unclear how the Disney Plus series will handle the Riri-Pepper relationship, it’s not inconceivable that Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts would encourage her friend to carry on Stark’s legacy or offer up her old lab for Riri to use. It’s also not inconceivable that Riri could connect with War Machine, aka Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, and form her own superhero team.

With the departure of Stark after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Riri is poised to be a major player in Marvel’s future. She’ll appear in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and will probably join War Machine for Marvel’s as-yet-untitled 2024 movie, Armor Wars. She’s also set to star in her own Disney Plus series, Ironheart (2024).