Dominique Thorne is now part of the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” cast. And Marvel Studios has previously announced that Thorne will be playing Ironheart in the Disney+ show of the same name. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed to ComicBook.com that Dominique Thorne will play Ironheart, or Riri Williams, in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” – before she stars in the show.

“We’re shooting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, right now, and the character of Riri Williams, you will meet in Black Panther 2 first,” Feige said. “She started shooting, I think, this week before her Ironheart series.”

Williams’ origins in the comics

Williams is a teenager and engineering prodigy in Marvel Comics who architects her own rendition of an Iron Man suit while at MIT. The school accepted her when she was 15 years old. She went to MIT after she lived with her mother and her aunt in Chicago. That came after her dad died. Williams uses the suit to prevent two inmates from committing crime. Then, Tony Stark contacts her. He says that it is fine with him for her to become a new hero similar to Iron Man. However, there isn’t any reason to believe that Stark will figure into Williams’ journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Riri Williams in Marvel Comics (photo credit: Marvel.com)

Williams was first seen in the comics in Invincible Iron Man #7 (2016). Then she played a bigger role in Invincible Iron Man #9. Feige first said in December that Thorne would play Williams. That was over the course of Disney’s Investor Day conference. However, it’s not known how much Williams will factor into “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Production started in Atlanta for the film. Ryan Coogler will direct. He oversaw a movie in “Black Panther” that boomed at the box office. After T’Challa actor Chadwick Boseman died, the original cast is anticipated to come back. That includes Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupia Nyong’o and Martin Freeman. Further, Tenoch Huerta will play Namor.

Williams’ previous screen appearances

Williams will make her live-action debut in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” She has been in animated shows like the Spider-Man episode “Amazing Friends” and “Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron.” She’s also been seen in Marvel Entertainment video games like “Marvel Avengers Academy,” “Marvel Strike Force” and “Marvel Puzzle Quest.”

Riri Williams in “Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron” (Marvel Studios)

She is among many young heroes to be making appearances in the MCU. It comes after audiences saw the likes of Yelena Belova in “Black Widow,” Billy and Tommy Maximoff in “WandaVision” and Kid Loki in “Loki.”

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be released on July 8, 2022. It’s not yet known when “Ironheart” will begin showing on Disney+.

Source: ComicBook.com