'Ironheart' review: Strong middle and potential heroine make it worth watching
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, director Ryan Coogler confronted an almost insurmountable challenge: to honor the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman’s iconic T’Challa while telling a compelling new story and expanding the Black Panther universe for the future. Coogler succeeded in paying tribute, especially through powerful performances like Angela Bassett’s, allowing audiences and cast alike space to grieve. Yet when it came to crafting a standalone story and developing fresh characters who could anchor future MCU adventures, the film fell short, leaving many narrative threads underexplored.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in 'Ironheart.'
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in 'Ironheart.'
Marvel Television
This challenge looms large over Disney+’s new six-episode series Ironheart, on which Coogler serves as an executive producer. Centering on Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, a brilliant young MIT student and inventor who builds her own version of the Iron Man suit, Ironheart aims to introduce a new hero but faces the difficulty of launching a character whose debut was overshadowed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Unlike Tony Stark, who had years of films and a deeply rooted audience, Riri’s introduction lacked narrative necessity, making her series an uphill climb from the start.
Created by Chinaka Hodge, Ironheart begins awkwardly with over 40 minutes of heavy exposition, re-establishing who Riri is, what her stakes are, and the world she inhabits. This clunky start is further weighed down by an uninspired finale dominated by a guest star who does little to elevate the story. Between these two narrative bookends, however, the series hits its stride in the middle episodes, delivering likable performances and moments of genuine fun. The fifth episode stands out, featuring a lengthy action sequence set in a White Castle that combines playful mayhem with some clever product placement — a goofy highlight amid a generally uneven season.
The premise is simple but effective: Riri Williams, a gifted mechanical engineer, is expelled from MIT and returns to her Chicago neighborhood. (Though filmed largely in Atlanta, the show does its best to evoke Chicago’s atmosphere.) Back home, Riri reconnects with her mother Ronnie (Anji White) and grapples with trauma linked to the deaths of her best friend Natalie (Lyric Ross) and her stepfather, victims of a tragic shooting. This grounding in real-world urban violence is a refreshing break from the usual MCU “end-of-the-world” stakes or repeated cosmic disasters like “The Snap.”
Marvel Television
Chicago is also home to a cast of complex secondary characters who add depth and conflict. Riri is quickly drawn into a criminal syndicate led by Parker “The Hood” Robbins, played with charisma yet limited development by Anthony Ramos. The Hood’s powers, tied to a mystical cloak, come at a spiritual price that is only sporadically explained, diminishing their impact. His crew — hacker Slug (Shea Couleé), explosives expert Clown (Sonia Denis), and knife-wielding John (Manny Montana) — offer diversity and energy but often feel like underwritten caricatures.
At the heart of Ironheart is Riri’s obsessive drive to perfect her armored suit, complete with an AI system that evokes echoes of Tony Stark’s Jarvis or Friday. Her efforts are assisted by Joe McGillicuddy (Alden Ehrenreich), a black market gear dealer whose witty banter with Riri provides some of the show’s best moments. The chemistry between Thorne and Ehrenreich is a welcome injection of levity and warmth, buoyed by a memorable Alanis Morissette track that perfectly underscores their interactions.
Unfortunately, Ironheart shares a familiar problem with many recent Marvel/Disney+ entries: inconsistency. The series can’t quite decide whether to focus on high-stakes superhero drama or grounded character exploration. Its pacing falters, and the six-episode format feels ill-fitting — too short to build meaningful arcs but too long for its thin plotlines to sustain interest. This contrasts sharply with earlier MCU success stories that mastered long-form storytelling, such as Daredevil: Born Again or the carefully structured narratives culminating in Avengers: Endgame.
Moreover, Ironheart’s production budget appears noticeably lower than its Disney+ counterparts, which undermines its action sequences. The stunts and fight choreography lack the polish and adrenaline of shows like Hawkeye or Daredevil, and the creative use of limited resources is only intermittently effective. Aside from the inventive chaos of the White Castle episode, action scenes often feel flat and uninspired.
The finale, meant to bring closure and set up future possibilities, instead falls flat. Key scenes are bogged down by a guest star whose presence is more distracting than compelling. The infamous pizza scene — attempting to showcase Chicago’s tavern-style pizza — misses the mark, feeling inauthentic and emblematic of the show’s uneven attention to detail.
Still, Ironheart isn’t without merit. Its focus on character relationships and emotional depth distinguishes it from other recent MCU entries. Riri’s backstory of loss and trauma, untethered from the more common cosmic or superhuman origins, lends a relatable vulnerability. Her interactions with Natalie’s ghost, the fraught attempts to reconnect with her mother, and her dynamic with Joe McGillicuddy all add layers that enrich the series.
The villains and their motivations, however, are less convincing. Parker “The Hood” is portrayed as a man torn by unrealized dreams, yet his mystical powers and moral ambiguity are never fully developed. Manny Montana’s John provides a menacing edge, while Sonia Denis’ Clown injects humor and danger. Despite the cast’s efforts, the antagonistic force never truly feels threatening or complex.
On a thematic level, Ironheart attempts to explore intriguing ideas, including the ongoing MCU conflict between science and magic, and the ethical dilemmas of billionaire vigilantes. Unfortunately, these themes come across as rushed and undercooked. The series has ambitious intentions but lacks the narrative structure or runtime needed to explore them fully.
Verdict:
Ironheart is a mixed bag — a series hampered by a weak start and finish but elevated by a strong middle section, solid performances, and authentic emotional moments. It represents Marvel’s continuing struggle to translate its blockbuster film success into consistent, engaging television. For viewers willing to look past structural flaws, Ironheart offers a fresh heroine with potential and glimpses of charm and creativity that hint at a brighter future for the character.
