Heroes don’t usually do what Riri Williams does at the end of Ironheart. In fact, most superhero stories would have the main character doing the exact opposite of what Riri does in the closing moments of Disney+’s latest Marvel show. And yet, it was specifically that decision and the thought behind it that got star Dominique Thorne most excited.
At the end of Ironheart, Riri (Thorne) makes a literal deal with the devil, agreeing to partner with the evil Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) in exchange for bringing back her dead best friend, Natalie (Lyric Ross). And we know this because, as Riri hugs Natalie, we see the dark veins of Mephisto’s powers growing on her arm.
“I think it’s so yummy that Riri doesn’t have to walk the traditional hero path,” the actress told Entertainment Weekly. “She has already crossed some lines and figured she’ll handle the consequences on the other side. So what exactly is the scope? What’s the scale of those consequences? And does she continue to resist? Does she continue to do the right thing or does she lean into the other part of her?”
Those are all valid questions, but an even more valid one is: why? Why would Riri do this? And does it track with who she is? Thorne thinks so. “It just helped to reinforce what we’ve been seeing from Riri since Wakanda Forever, which is that she’s not majorly committed to this superhero mantle,” Thorne said. “It’s not something that she goes out chasing or seeking, but it’s something that she has to think her way through and figure out and really make conscious choices at every major turning point until she gets to the truth of who she is and who therefore who Ironheart will be. That last moment brings it all home, boils it all down, and reiterates what we’ve been seeing since we’ve met Riri Williams, which is you have all this brilliance, you have all this potential, and you need to make a choice.”
Will we ever see the fallout of that choice, though? Of course, the decision to basically pull a “Breaking Bad” on Riri, in addition to the introduction of Baron Cohen as the iconic villain, does point to a bigger future in the MCU. It’s unclear right now what that might be, but showrunner Chinaka Hodge hopes we can explore it.
“I think it’s a really fun payoff, and we’re setting up Riri to make big, grown woman decisions in the MCU,” Hodge said. “I think our cliffhangers will excite our fans and allow them to dream around whatever doom might befall them.”
All episodes of Ironheart are now on Disney+.
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