‘This Is Us’ Star Enters Marvel Universe With Role in ‘Ironheart’

As filming for NBC’s final season of This Is Us winds down, its actors are already looking toward future projects. The family drama has run for six seasons on NBC. The series is universally embraced by viewers who watch the Pearson clan face insurmountable obstacles. However, after years of playing the same characters, the series actors face significant changes in their professional careers. Subsequently, one This Is Us star is staking their claim on a key role as part of the Marvel Universe in its Disney+ series Ironheart.

Which ‘This Is Us’ actor will spread their wings on Disney+’s ‘Ironheart’?

Lyric Ross, who portrays Deja, has signed on as one of the actors featured in Ironheart. Deja is the daughter of Randall and Beth and the sister of Tess and Annie.

Ross joined Dominique Thorne and In the Heights and Hamilton star Anthony Ramos in the series, which features the Iron Man-adjacent character.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ironheart will feature Thorne in the role of Riri Williams, a teenage inventor. Per the comic series, Riri builds her version of Iron Man’s suit in a dorm room at MIT. Riri periodically takes over for Tony Stark as Iron Man in the comics. In Avengers: Endgame, Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., died fighting Thanos.

Moreover, Ross will play Williams’ best friend. The name of her character has not yet been released.

Lyric Ross won fans hearts as Deja on ‘This Is Us’

Fans of This Is Us fans fell in love with the character of Deja, a young woman who Beth (Susan Kalechi Watson) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) took into their home in season 2.

Deja’s mother tried to take care of the young woman independently.

However, this forced Deja to grow up quickly as she essentially raised herself and tried to help her mother overcome her struggles. To allow her daughter to have a better life, Deja’s mother subsequently gave up all her parental rights to Beth and Randall.

After the Pearsons relocated from New Jersey to Philadelphia, Deja met Malik (Asante Blackk), a bright and driven young man helping raise his young daughter. The couple fell deeply in love and planned for a future together.

However, after teenage Deja lied to her parents and spent the night with Malik, a Harvard student, she decided she wanted to move to Boston to live with him.

What is next for the character of Deja?

Deja’s story remains stalled at the moment. After announcing she wanted to move to Boston to be with Malik, stunned parents Beth and Randall appeared at a loss for words.

In addition, after composing himself, Randall wanted to stand firm against Deja leaving. However, Beth understood that there was no way to stand between young love. Moreover, Beth told Randall he was wrong. Consequently, forcing Deja to stay could cause them to lose her in the long term. 

In addition, it appears that whatever happens to the young couple does not impact Deja’s relationship with her father in the future.

This Is Us Season 5 Episode 9 titled “The Ride” introduced fans to adult Deja (La Trice Harper) and Annie (Iyana Halley). In the future, Deja will be a medical intern who is pregnant. However, Annie, her sister, is the only one who appears to know. Most importantly, it seemed no one else in the Pearson clan was aware of the big news.

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.