‘Ironheart’: Why Making Morgan the Next Iron Man Wouldn’t Make Sense
Disney recently announced a slue of brand new projects at its 2020 Investor Day. From updates on the heavily-anticipated sequels to the Marvel Universe to several new Star Wars projects, there was a little bit of something for everyone.
Lost in this mix was Ironheart, an upcoming series about a younger iron superhero who is not a billionaire mogul, but a Black teenager named Riri Williams.
However, while many are looking forward to Ironheart, some want to see a different character take on the iron suit.
What is Ironheart?
Ironheart was created by Brian Michael Bendis and designed by Mike Deodato in 2016 when Marvel was still making a solemn effort to diversify its mostly white, mostly male roster of characters. Ironheart is a teenage genius named Riri, who creates her iron suit with hopes of becoming a superhero. Like Spider-Man before her, the series grapples with growing up with big dreams.
The series based on the character was a surprise announcement at the Investor day. Kevin Feige surprised audiences by announcing that the series was not only ago but already casting.
Dominique Thorne will take on the iron suit, although few other details are currently known. Despite a fresh look at a little-known character in the mainstream, many want to see a different character take on the suit.
Running in the family
After Reddit user u/TheRealMichaelGarcia said that it was too soon to bring back an iron superhero this quickly after Tony Stark’s untimely demise, several users chimed in with support and dismissal of their point. U/Punkodramon is excited to see where the universe can go technologically without the man behind some of its most remarkable creations.
While some want to see Morgan Stark, Tony’s daughter, to be the heir apparent, this user likes to the idea of a new, unconnected one.
“I understand where you’re coming from with Ironheart and wanting to wait for Morgan, but the problem is the tech is already there. Waiting 15 years for another armor-based hero just doesn’t make sense in-universe. Tony was the only person able to stop the armor designs getting out there and mass-produced and misused, hence the reason why they have Armor Wars coming out. So bringing in a new Armor based hero off the back of that follows logically, and Riri is an excellent choice for that.”
Morgan was introduced in Endgame, and after the death of her father, his inclusion in the series is questionable. However, if there’s one thing that the comic books have told us, it’s that everything is connected.
Does Morgan Stark have a place inside the universe?
Morgan Stark was a creation for the on-screen universe with no direct correlation to established characters. While there is a cousin named Morgan in the books, she is a jealous cousin with little resemblance to the innocent child portrayed by Lexi Rabe in the film. Thanks to the time shift, little is known about her conception.
However, by introducing Morgan Stark in the MCU, the Russo Brothers gave the franchise a chance to have its first genuinely original character to take on the reins and add a new dynamic to a franchise that has typically run on established protagonists.
She has a connection to the original Iron Man, a whole lot of money, and a chip on her shoulder thanks to her father’s death.
However, Marvel is sticking with a formula that is tried and true. While several characters made their debut inside the MCU, changing it up and making it about a hero that does not exist in the comics could be dangerous. Furthermore, Ironheart has met with acclaim and helped Marvel reach new audiences despite rehashing a similar context.
Ironheart is still early on in development, but when it finally premieres, its makers will have to make sure that it helps further the story while giving it a fresh new look.
