IRONHEART Actress Reveals The Advice She Got From IRON MAN Star Robert Downey Jr.
Dominique Thorne made her big MCU debut as Riri Williams a.k.a. Ironheart in Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This will lead to the Disney+ Ironheart series which will examine the character in much more detail and focus on her rise to superhero status as she is stepping into the shoes of Iron Man in the MCU.
It turns out that Thorne actually got some advice from Tony Stark actor Robert Downey Jr. before she started filming her series. Downey FaceTimed her when Wakanda Forever was almost finished shooting, and she told ScreenRant how that went down in an interview:
"I wasn't able to speak with RDJ before we got into filming or anything, but right toward the conclusion of the film, I actually had the chance to speak with him through FaceTime. A cast mate over on Ironheart had actually done a show with him and connected us, and he had some beautiful words to say about how much he believes that Riri Williams is and should always be her own person, her own thing. That this legacy is headed in the right direction and all the beautiful encouraging things that you hope to hear from the Iron Man himself."
That must’ve been a cool conversation for Thorne! I’m sure that the actor gave her a boost of confidence as she moves forward as the new armor-clad warrior in the MCU. Stepping in the shoes of Tony Stark wouldn’t be an easy feat for anyone. I just hope that Marvel handles it right and is able to properly make it work.
When previously talking about the comparisons of Williams and Stark, Thorne said:
"They definitely are similar, but definitely two independent expressions of this beautiful mind. I think the answer to that is best left to the series next year, so that's where you'll have to come for the truthful answer to that question."
"I do think in Riri's creation of this suit, or pursuing a build like that, I think that there's an inherent acknowledgment of what Tony Stark did by creating this suit of armor. I think for someone as ambitious as Riri Williams, it's without a doubt something that draws you in and begs your attention. As you can tell from the movie, that ambition will lead where it will lead and this time it's led to her being in line with him by creating her very own suit of armor."
I got to see some footage from the Ironheart series at D23 Expo and I actually like what I saw! I hope that this series turns out well and does a great job of planting her firmly in the MCU as the new Iron Avenger. Do you think Marvel is going to effectively pull this off?