Premise: Following the events of the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), MIT student Riri Williams returns home to Chicago where she becomes entangled with the enigmatic Parker Robbins / The Hood, discovering secrets that pit technology against magic and setting her on a path of danger and adventure.
The Ironheart miniseries was alright.
Pros: I like how this series used practical suit made out of a car. I love the different Ironheart title for each episode. N.A.T.A.L.I.E. was a fun A.I. companion. How they channelled tech and magic into this series quite well. Thumbs up for Dominique Thorne making Riri Williams feel flawed and not a Iron man close and I’m surprised how tragic her fate turns out to be at the hands of Mephisto.
Cons: The pacing was a slow burn to get through the first batch of episodes. The Parker’s crew needed more more to do to standout. Both the hood and Ezekiel underutilised prospectively & the script writing could of been done better.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi, Superhero
Created by Chinaka Hodge
Based on Marvel Comics
Starring: Dominique Thorne, Lyric Ross, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam, Anji White, Jim Rash, Eric André, Cree Summer, Sonia Denis, Shea Couleé, Zoe Terakes, Shakira Barrera, Anthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Paul Calderón & Sacha Baron Cohen.
Music by Dara Taylor
Executive producers: Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Zoie Nagelhout, Chinaka Hodge, Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Robert Kulzer.
Producer: Ethan Smith
Production locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago
Cinematography: Ante Cheng, Alison Kelly
Editors: Rosanne Tan, Deanna Nowell, Cedric Nairn-Smith, Shannon Baker Davis, Chris McCaleb
Production companies: Marvel Television, Proximity Media
Network: Disney+
Casts:
- Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart:
An MIT student and genius inventor from Chicago who created a suit of armor like the one built by Tony Stark / Iron Man. Thorne explained that Ironheart would give a “deeper dive” into Riri after the character was previewed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), saying the series helps explain her background and upbringing that made her the person seen in Wakanda Forever, as well as dealing with the events of that film and how they change her outlook on being Ironheart. She read Ironheart comic books by Brian Michael Bendis and Eve Ewing to help understand the character’s relationship with her father. Executive producer Sev Ohanian said Riri would be going down a “break[ing] bad” path, similar to the antiheroes Walter White from the Breaking Bad franchise and Tony Soprano from the television series The Sopranos (1999–2007). - Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington and N.A.T.A.L.I.E.:
Natalie is Riri’s deceased best friend that she turns into her in-suit artificial intelligence (AI) N.A.T.A.L.I.E., short for Neuro Autonomous Technical Assistant and Laboratory Intelligence Entity. - Manny Montana as John: Parker Robbins’s cousin and a knife-wielding member of his gang
- Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington: Riri’s neighbor and friend, and Natalie’s brother
- Anji White as Ronnie Williams: Riri’s mother
- Jim Rash as Professor Wilkes: A teacher at MIT
- Eric André as Stuart Clarke / Rampage: A tech specialist and member of Parker’s gang
- Cree Summer as Madeline Stanton: Ronnie’s flamboyant friend, Zelma’s mother, and a former Kamar-Taj trainee who runs a joint candy and magic shop
- Sonia Denis as Clown: A pyrotechnics specialist and member of Parker’s gang
- Shea Couleé as Slug:
A hacker from Madripoor and member of Parker’s gang. Slug is a former drag queen who wants to redistribute wealth from the privileged to the Chicago community, and uses non-binary pronouns. - Zoe Terakes as Jeri Blood: The muscle of Parker’s gang and former athlete-turned-street fighter who is Roz’s brother
- Shakira Barrera as Roz Blood: The muscle of Parker’s gang and former athlete-turned-street fighter who is Jeri’s sister
- Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins / The Hood:
A gang leader and former ally-turned-enemy of Riri’s who dons a hood that allows him to tap into dark arts and magic. Ramos said Parker was complex and a misfit who “wants to take in other misfits and show the world that you looked at us as outcasts but we’re going to end up on top”. Parker is from the Chicago neighborhood Humboldt Park, being raised by his mother, who is part of the Puerto Rican street gang-turned activist organization, the Young Lords; in the comics, Parker is from New York City.[5] Executive producer Ryan Coogler said Parker and Riri are two sides of the same coin, and the two bond over their shared quest for greatness. - Alden Ehrenreich as Ezekiel “Zeke” Stane:
A tech ethicist and black market arms dealer who is the son of Stark’s late mentor-turned-nemesis Obadiah Stane and changed his identity to Joe McGillicuddy. - Regan Aliyah as Zelma Stanton: Riri’s friend and Madeline’s daughter who practices the mystic arts
- Paul Calderón as Arthur Robbins: The CEO of Artworks and Parker’s father
- Sacha Baron Cohen as Mephisto:
A powerful extra-dimensional demon who originally gave Parker his hood. According to executive producer Zoie Nagelhout, Mephisto allowed for an “interesting and heightened way to tie together the characters’ journeys” in the series, particularly Riri’s.
Recurring in the series are Harper Anthony as Landon, a neighborhood boy who charges Riri for odd jobs; LaRoyce Hawkins as Gary Williams, Riri’s late stepfather; and Tanya Christiansen as Heather, Zeke’s neighbor. Rapper Saba appears as himself.
I still recommend watching this series only on Disney+.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident film reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe