‘Ironheart’ Review: Dominique Thorne’s Teen Genius Struggles To Find Her Spark in Marvel’s Mixed Bag of a Series (LatestLY Exclusive)

Ironheart Review: Marvel Studios has an interesting release strategy with Ironheart - dropping the first three episodes of the six-part series on June 25, 2025 on Disney+ (and JioHotstar in India), with the next three arriving a week later. In a broader perspective, this approach works for the show, as it isn’t until the third episode that Ironheart truly finds its footing, sparking mild curiosity about where it’s headed. A single-episode premiere likely wouldn’t have had the same effect. PS: The review is based on the first three episodes of the series. ‘Ironheart’ Trailer: Riri Williams’ Tech Genius Meets The Hood’s Dark Magic in New Disney+ Series.

The character of Ironheart, aka Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), was first introduced in the 2022 film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as a supporting player pivotal to the story’s dramatic turn. She even suited up in her own Iron Man-esque armour and joined the action. While Thorne delivered a solid performance (and continues to do so here), the character initially felt like the MCU’s rushed attempt to fill the large void left by Tony Stark - slotting in a teenage genius with comparable intellect and arguably better resource management (she’s no billionaire, after all). For Iron Man fans, it left a slightly bitter taste, one that could’ve been avoided had Riri been allowed to grow organically as her own character.

Does Ironheart, created by Chinaka Hodge, arriving three years after Wakanda Forever, rectify that oversight? Well, it does give Riri more personal space. We see her life in Chicago, meet her friends and family (both living and deceased), and learn more about her world and her money-strung challenges. Yet, despite this, the series doesn’t quite develop her character effectively, failing to carve out enough emotional depth for audiences to truly connect with her.

'Ironheart' Review -  The Plot

That said, the show does make a concerted effort to differentiate Riri’s arc from Tony Stark’s, particularly in how she uses her suit. After her tech leads nowhere and she’s caught helping fellow students cheat, Riri is expelled from MIT. She flees campus in her stolen Iron suit, returning to Chicago, where her tech catches the eye of Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), aka The Hood. Parker and his crew specialise in robbing tech billionaires, and though hesitant at first, Riri eventually joins their operation since she needs funds to work on her suit and thereby use it for the world's benefit.

Watch the Trailer of 'Ironheart':

Like most Marvel heroes, Riri carries personal tragedy - her stepfather, Gary (LaRoyce Hawkins), and best friend, Natalie (Lyric Ross), were killed in a drive-by shooting. In the show’s most compelling storyline, Riri accidentally creates an AI hologram of Natalie while attempting to build her own version of Tony’s JARVIS. The AI behaves like the real Natalie, complete with memories (Lyric Ross is an absolute scene-stealer here), but Riri struggles to see it as a replacement.

'Ironheart' Review - Shines in Moments

In a quietly heartbreaking moment, her mother (Anji White) asks if she could do the same for her late husband - a promise Riri can’t bring herself to make. These intimate, human touches are where Ironheart should have included more of, as it would have echoed the charm of Ms Marvel’s focus on family and friendships. Unfortunately, the series doesn’t linger on them long enough, instead juggling Riri between subplots.

One minute, she’s aiding The Hood’s heists while investigating the eerie power behind his cloak (fueling those persistent Mephisto theories that began with WandaVision). The next, she’s crossing paths with Joe (Alden Ehrenreich), a tech ethicist with black-market connections - and a surprising link to Tony Stark.

As a show, Ironheart is slickly directed, with a strong score and well-executed action scenes. But it lacks urgency - whether due to superhero fatigue, Marvel’s persistent TV show workmanship, or simply because Ironheart itself isn’t sure where to throw the hook to grip its audience. And by the time it does, we are halfway across the series. Black Panther Wakanda Forever Movie Review: Tenoch Huerta, Letitia Wright Bring Their A-Game to Marvel’s Most Poignant Film Yet!

Still, the mystery surrounding The Hood’s powers is intriguing, and by the third episode, the series builds enough momentum to become more engaging than it initially promises.

The greenhouse facility heist is a gripping sequence, featuring a moment that echoes Iron Man 3’s best action set pieces (the show’s lingering Iron Man shadow - both literal and thematic - is impossible to ignore). Here’s hoping the next three episodes stick the landing.

PS: I get that the MCU now operates in a world where aliens, magic-wielding wizards, and flying metal suits are mundane. But surely someone would track an unauthorised person zooming through a city in a superpowered suit - let alone one linked to high-profile robberies? Why such oversight, the government of USA?

'Ironheart' Review - Final Thoughts

Ironheart doesn’t quite ignite investment in Riri Williams’ story across its first three episodes, struggling to lay sufficient groundwork for her journey. While it boasts interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, solid performances, and a couple of well-executed action scenes, the overall effort fails to fully engage. If the remaining episodes can rein in the subplots, stick the landing, and truly lean into what makes Riri unique – beyond merely being an Iron Man successor – this could still become a satisfying entry in Marvel’s growing roster of coming-of-age heroes.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2025 10:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).