Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Ironheart

  • ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘This is Us’ Lyric Ross

    ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘This is Us’ Lyric Ross

    The casting is well underway for the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ series, as The Hollywood Reporter has just reported that Lyric Ross, who has made a name for herself in the NBC series This is Us, has joined the project starring Dominique Throne as Riri Williams. The actress will join as Williams’ best friend but no further details were offered on her role.

    Snowpiercers’ staff writer Chinaka Hodge took on the role of head writer for the project, which is eyeing a June production start. Not much is known about the series outside of it following some elements from her comic origin as a genius teenage inventor who ends up creating a new Iron Man suit in her MIT dorm. The character is quite a new addition to Marvel Comics, as she was first introduced by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato in 2016.

    Riri Williams will make an appearance ahead of her show’s debut, as she’s set to have a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It is unsure just how much of that story might help set up the series and if it might even mean some characters might reappear there. Anthony Ramos recently joined the project in a role that might have bigger implications for the franchise moving forward. THR does hint that he could be playing the show’s villain. So, we’ll see what exactly Ironheart has in store for us.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Anthony Ramos Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’, Large MCU Role Teased

    Anthony Ramos Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’, Large MCU Role Teased

    One of Marvel Studios’ most under-the-radar new projects has finally begun adding to it’s cast, and it’s starting off with a strong addition. Deadline is reporting that Anthony Ramos, frequent Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborator and star of both In the Heights and Hamilton, has joined the cast of Ironheart in an undisclosed role. Sources claim the part will be reminiscent of Jonathan Majors‘ participation in Loki, with an appearance in a Disney+ series setting Ramos up for an even larger role in the MCU’s future. Whoever his character may end up being, it will only add to the actor’s promising future in the industry. Once a supporting player in A Star is Born, the performer has also been tapped as a lead in the next Transformers film.

    Ramos joins a cast that so far only includes Dominique Thorne in the titular role. First officially announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor’s Day presentation, the live-action show will follow the life of a genius, teenage MIT student Riri Williams as she invents her own high-tech suit of armor and follows in Tony Stark’s footsteps. It’s unknown when the character’s solo series will hit the small screen, but fans won’t have to wait too long for her to make a grand debut in the MCU. Reports indicate that Williams will make her first appearance in November when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters. Musician and poet Chinaka Hodge has been tapped to serve as the head writer for Ironheart, which will likely drop sometime after Disney+ premieres Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: First Hints at ‘Ironheart’s Potential Main Villains

    RUMOR: First Hints at ‘Ironheart’s Potential Main Villains

    Marvel Studios is continuing its expansion into Disney+ after a successful first year. Of course, there are quite a few projects in some form of development including the live-action debut of Riri Williams in the Ironheart series. The character is a rather new addition to the Marvel universe and made many wonders what we might expect from her original series. A new rumor is making the rounds that may be our first real hint at who she may be facing.

    Some time ago, there were hints that the upcoming project would include Obediah Stane’s child, whose characterization may be inspired by Sam Rockwell‘s portrayal of Justin Hammer. In addition, it seems that the show’s main antagonist might have found its way online as well, as they shared a description hinting at his character being “charming, magnetic, slick, and oily.” What stands out is that he’ll have a “crew” which could hint at a gang leader of some sort.

    Illuminerdi believes this description might be a fitting choice for the villain known as Parker Robbins, who works for a crime syndicate and ends up with a magical cloak. It gives him abilities to upgrade his game, but also ended up with him facing off against various heroes and even the Avengers. Of course, with Riri’s tech focus, it’s uncertain if they might also change his origins a bit if it ends up being Robbins, but the magical element would add an interesting twist to the story. Production hasn’t started yet and elements can still change. So, we’ll see how things develop.

    Source: Illuminerdi, Illuminerdi

  • RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ May Add Riri Williams as an NPC

    RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ May Add Riri Williams as an NPC

    Marvel’s Avengers is about to enter 2022, as we still await the next roadmap for the game. The first year may have started off bumpy, but we saw the additions of four heroes, Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, Black Panther, and the PS-exclusive Spider-Man. We don’t know quite yet what we can expect from this year’s content outside of rumblings surrounding She-Hulk, but there might be another familiar face joining the game as a non-playable-character.

    @EddyZ115, who has been data mining the game for some time now, has shared that a file in the game includes the name, Riri Williams. Comic fans will instantly recognize Ironheart’s civilian name, who is also set to get her own Disney+ show in the near future. There have been rumblings about a mystery character to join the already rumored characters next year, as pointed out by @mmmmmmmmiller. As such, it was believed she might be the character in question, but was later highlighted that this file includes references to a character model that is possibly for an NPC.

    We still have to take this information with a grain of salt, as the existence of the character in the game doesn’t mean they finalized anything. In August of 2020, there was a listing of 15 possible DLC characters heading to the game due to what was available in the game’s source code. Yet, the development on each character that has released so far varied and plans can always change as they continue working on the game.

    Her inclusion as an NPC character wouldn’t be too surprising, as most of their latest offerings included some familiar faces that are mainly supporting roles in the respective stories. Black Panther’s expansion included Shuri as an NPC in the new hub world, and it’s likely that Riri might have a similar role for another character. Of course, we still have to take this information with a grain of salt until we get the actual roadmap for 2022.

    Source: Twitter

  • Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V2

    Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V2

    Earlier this year, we ran one hypothetical scenario for Marvel Studios 2023 release slate. A lot has changed since then (including the reshuffling of the film slate and a streaming series delay), so with Disney Plus Day coming up next week, we thought we’d shoot our shot at predicting how 2022 and 2023 might look. Here’s 2023, V2.

    Whereas 2022 started off with a Star Wars series, it’s possible that the late-2021 reshuffling of Marvel Studios projects may have allowed for a perfect bit of Disney synergy.

    This could allow the Disney+ Secret Invasion series to kick off the year and lead almost directly into The Marvels, a film with which it will share characters and, potentially, some plot points. If that’s the case, we could see an episode of Marvel Studios: Legends catch us up on Nick Fury and Talos on January 4th ahead of Secret Invasion’s 5-week run (prediction a 2-episode premiere here to keep things from overlapping).

    Marvel Studios: Legends episodes for Kamala Khan, Monica Rambeau, and, of course, Carol Danvers are a good bet the week of the release of their team-up appearance in The Marvels. If Disney+ keeps pushing these summaries out, we could see them on February 15th.

    The Marvels is starting to sound like another one of Marvel Studios’ highly ambitious team-up sequels, on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok. Looking back, those films set not only their main characters but also the supporting cast on new journeys that lead to some amazing, redefining arcs. We could see that happening here when The Marvels drops into theaters on its new date, February 17th, 2023.

    It can’t be all Marvel all the time. Season 3 of The Mandalorian would fit in nicely following The Marvels, meaning the next MCU project we could see would be episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends recapping the journeys of the Guardians. There would, by this time, be a LOT to do, so we could see the most loaded Legends day on May 3rd, 2023.

    James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, originally supposed to be in theaters in May of 2020, will finally arrive on May 5th, 2023. Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, is set to make his debut and, presumably, give the Guardians a hard time. However, we know that Gunn has said this film will be Rocket’s film and that it’s the final chapter in his telling of the story of this group, so Warlock will certainly not be the only new character we meet.

    Following the final chapter of the OG Guardians of the MCU, it’s likely we’ll get a bit of a break from the MCU, maybe for something like the Lucasfilm Ahsoka series in May. Marvel Studios could get back in the game with a Marvel Studios: Legends episode on Maya Lopez (and maybe Wilson Fisk) on June 7th before her series debuts the next week.

    We know almost nothing at this point about the solo Echo series other than it is described as a Hawkeye spinoff. There are rumors that both Hawkeyes and Kingpin will appear and that they are searching for Native American actors to, we think, play members of Echo’s family. This one has the feel of something that can be a pretty original spin on the character and it’s key that the focus is on Alaqua Cox’s Lopez. That said, don’t be surprised if some other familiar faces show up throughout the series.

    By the time Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters, it’ll have been 5 years since Ant-Man and The Wasp was in theaters. A little catching up on Scott, Cassie, Hope, Janet, and Hank sounds good…oh yeah, and Kang. Expect a few Marvel Studios: Legends episodes to air the week the film hits theaters.

    While Peyton Reed remains on board as the director, writer Jeff Loveness came on board AM&TW:Q to put a fresh spin on an existing draft. I’ve always heard this was going to be a much bigger film than either of the first two and having Jonathan Majors’ Kang involved certainly does nothing to dispel that rumor, though I am VERY curious what this one ends up being all about. We’ll all find out together July 28th, 2023.

    Another year, another season of What If…?.

    Riri Williams is set to make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in July of 2022, so the events of her show will almost certainly be influenced by/spin out of the events of that film. An episode of Marvel Studios: Legends will help new fans catch up on her story and sort through the 3 suits she goes through in the Black Panther sequel.

    Even though her series was announced in late 2020, it really does seem like it’ll be mid-to-late 2023 before we see our first episode of Ironheart. It won’t start filming until 2022 and will be part of a backlog of projects when it does. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever being pushed to November 2022, it’s all but a sure thing we don’t see this follow-up series until 2023.

    This whole feature is an exercise in making wild guesses but by the time we’re at this portion of the 2023 calendar, the guesses are even wilder. Since we’re going with Cap 4 as the final 2023 film, we’re going with an episode or more of Marvel Studios: Legends ahead of time to catch us up on whoever needs to be caught up on.

    Captain America 4 is going here simply because, as of writing this, it’s the first movie scheduled to go into production in 2022 (currently set for a June start). Blade is set to go into production one month later, so it’s would be easy to imagine it could be here instead, but I went with the simplest explanation.

    Should Armor Wars be the MCU series that rounds out 2023, some episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends will be a necessity to catch up on Rhodey and whomever else they pack in here.

    By the time this series streams (hypothetically), it’ll be about 3 years since its surprise announcement at the 2020 Disney Plus Investor Day. Like Ironheart, Armor Wars is, in part, being pushed down the line as other projects get pushed down the line. In this case, we know that as of November 2021, the project was still in the EARLIEST days of development, so it’s reasonable to assume it won’t go into production until late 2022 so a late 2023 release date sounds right. It’s also intriguing that this film could have some themes in common with Captain America 4 (maybe they both deal, to some extent, with Sharon’s work as the Power Broker or with these heroes continuing to work through the legacies of their friends?) Either way, this show has a ton of potential to introduce some wild new characters to the MCU (CONTROLLER AND STILT-MAN!!) and it’s hard to think we still have 2 years to wait on it.

    Why anyone would try to guess what’s going to happen in 2023 when we aren’t even sure what’s happening in 2022 yet is beyond us, but we did it anyway. Again, bookmark this bad boy so we can come back to it later for a laugh.


  • Kevin Feige Confirms Riri Williams Debut in ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    Kevin Feige Confirms Riri Williams Debut in ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

    It looks like we finally have the confirmation that Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams will make her debut ahead of her Disney+ series Ironheart. In an interview with ComicBook.com, the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, confirmed that she will appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He also hints that she’ll jump from this production to the Disney+ series after finishing it.

    We’re shooting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, right now, and the character of Riri Williams, you will meet in Black Panther 2 first. She started shooting, I think, this week before her Ironheart series

    Her inclusion makes a lot of sense, as the character has built up quite a friendship with Shuri in the comics. We also heard a few months ago that they are filming at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she builds her first armor. Perhaps this version of the character gets some help with developing the suit with the help of Wakandan technology. It also highlights how Abominations’ appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and her inclusion in this Black Panther sequel is a way for Marvel Studios to cut on some costs.

    If the designs and first rigging work are done in a big-budget film, it’s easier to give them the film quality in an ongoing series. So, we might see her don the suit either during the film or in a post-credit sequence. We don’t know how large her role might be, but she could become an emotional anchor for Shuri, who seems to be the most likely candidate to take on the mantle passed down from T’Challa. We’ll see if the trailer offers a glimpse of her role, or if they keep it for later.

    Source: Comic Book

  • RUMOR: Working Titles for Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’ and ‘Echo’ Disney+ Series

    RUMOR: Working Titles for Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’ and ‘Echo’ Disney+ Series

    We have a lot of Marvel Studios projects to look forward to. We are this close to the release of Black Widow. Loki has two more episodes to go before What If premieres sometime this summer. That isn’t all, as it looks like two Disney+ projects are picking up speed over at Marvel Studios. It’s a common practice for their films to work under a pseudonym. Around three months ago, we found out that the Captain Marvel sequel, which now is titled The Marvels, entered production as Goat Rodeo. Now, it seems that Cosmic Circus might have gotten their hands on the working titles for Ironheart and the upcoming Echo spin-off.

    The first on the list is the upcoming series that will introduce moviegoers to the character of Riri Williams. The genius MIT student ends up creating the most advanced suit since Tony Stark. With a confirmed War Machine-focused Armor Wars series around the corner, it seems clear she might also be involved in the project to some capacity. According to Cosmic Circus, the Ironheart Disney+ series got the working title “Wise Guy,” which is an odd choice. The titles don’t always give away what the project is about and sometimes also act as a way to get you off their scent.

    Echo’s working title “Whole Branzino” is another case that opens up more questions than answers. The Branzino is the Italian name for the European bass, which might play into her close ties to the mafia in the comics. The character will be portrayed by Alaqua Cox in the upcoming Hawkeye series before she branches off into her own adventure. We know the Tracksuit Mafia will be involved. So, it might be a play on her connection to them. It’s always fun o speculate with working titles what they could mean, but each new project shows that Marvel Studios is no sopping anytime soon to find creative working titles.

    Source: Cosmic Circus (Ironheart), Cosmic Circus (Echo)

  • Exclusive: ‘ECHO’, ‘IRONHEART’ Set 2022 Production Dates

    Exclusive: ‘ECHO’, ‘IRONHEART’ Set 2022 Production Dates

    Marvel Studios has set 2022 production start dates for a pair of Disney Plus streaming series, one of which may come as a bit of surprise to fans. We are hearing that Echo is currently set for a January 2022 start of production and will be followed up in April by Ironheart.

    Echo will continue to story of Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox, that will begin when Hawkeye debuts later this year in Hawkeye. Despite being described by Variety as being in “early development” just last March, it appears that the series has been fast-tracked and could crack Marvel Studios 2022 streaming lineup.

    Ironheart, announced at December’s Disney Investor Day, will star Dominque Thorne as Riri Williams and recently gained a head writer in Chinaka Hodge. The currently scheduled April start of production would give the writers’ room just about one year to adapt Williams to the MCU. 

    As with any production dates, particularly ones this early on, things can change. Still, it’s exciting to continue to see movement on these projects and what the next phase of Disney+ Marvel shows will include. It’s especially exciting considering Cox is getting an opportunity to break many barriers in her role as Lopez. Marvel and Disney must have been quite impressed with what they saw in Hawkeye to greenlight a solo series so quickly.

  • Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    It’s been a little over three months since Marvel Studios properly kicked off its Phase 4. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are now behind us, two shows that gave us but a glimpse of what is in store in the coming years in terms of the interconnectivity between the different IPs that make up the MCU. This is something Kevin Feige himself made extremely clear this past December, during the Disney Investor Day 2020:

    The Cinematic Universe weaves storylines of heroes and villains across twenty-three feature films to date, and with Disney+ we’re able to extend this way of storytelling to a new format, creating series that are connected to our theatrical releases making the MCU more immersive than ever.

    As for WandaVision, it managed to bring together characters from properties that seemed somewhat foreign to its titular characters (bringing them in from Thor, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man). The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did almost the exact opposite. It grabbed most of its main characters from the same feature (Captain America: Civil War) and continued their arcs in a way that seems to hint at them diverging into several other (new) IPs. The common ground between both approaches seems quite simple: when the story asks for it, characters will come and go from whatever property that needs them to. With this in mind, and with the number of projects Marvel Studios has already announced, it’s hard to not try and envision some of the paths the stories these characters might take us on.

    The existing connective tissue between properties is stronger with some than with others, even though Marvel Studios will always end up surprising us one way or another. But most of the more realistic theorizing (if there even is such a thing), taking into account the information that has already come out regarding casts, plots, and so on, seems to hint at a clear/not clear separation between what are the military-powered, skill-driven heroes and the more mystic and cosmic side of the MCU. So being, we’ll now focus on the first of these two groups.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to be at the heart of the stories we might end up exploring on this side of the spectrum. With Karli Morgenthau being one of the few main characters to have (apparently) died, all the others are now ready to move on, each doing their own thing. With Sam Wilson as Captain America, he seems like a given to star in the upcoming fourth installment of the Captain America series. As for Bucky Barnes, with a Nomad series apparently in development, Barnes seems like a perfect fit. As for James “War Machine” Rhodes, he might now become the direct link to Iron Man’s legacy Riri Williams comes into contact with in Ironheart, before both move into Armor Wars, where they could be met by Sharon Carter in her newfound MCU role. Black Widow will introduce us to Yelena Belova who can seamlessly move on to Hawkeye (even if just to attend a memorial service), where Echo will be show up before staring in her own show.

    Shifting our attention to the other side of the diagram, we find several connections between shows that have already been confirmed. Monica Rambeau will be back in the franchise where she was first introduced, where she will be met by Kamala Khan who will have already been introduced in the Ms. Marvel series. Both might be met in The Marvels by Talos, who will also have a role to play in the upcoming Secret Invasion alongside Nick Fury. As to Wanda Maximoff, now the Scarlet Witch, she is certain to continue her story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which may become the epicenter of every upcoming property dealing with the Multiverse. Loki and Spider-Man: Far From Home seem like projects that are likely to have strong connections to the second Doctor Strange feature for obvious plot reasons, at the same time as they connect through other storylines to yet another set of properties. With the information coming out of Loki that Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing Judge Renslayer (meaning that almost certainly that makes her Ravonna Renslayer) it becomes highly likely that Kang will make an appearance, ahead of his already highlighted presence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, played by the brilliant Jonathan Majors.

    These stories alone are certain to keep Marvel gaining momentum for years to come, but what seems to be the endgame here? Establishing new properties where characters from all over manage to meet for the first time, bringing together story threads from all sides of the MCU, certainly seems like a possibility. Projects that haven’t been announced as that might somewhat spoil the plots leading up to them. It should be no coincidence that a number of upcoming projects will seamlessly allow for the introduction of Young Avengers members, much like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier managed to do with Tommy and Billy Maximoff, and Eli Bradley, respectively. Kate Bishop is already confirmed to be debuting in Hawkeye, and the rest of the team will probably soon follow, with Teddy perhaps being introduced in Secret Invasion, America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, and Cassie Lang returning, as Stature, in Quantumania. Therefore, a Young Avengers series/movie should definitively be in the works bringing together their individual storylines. Another team being put together, even though a much different one, should be the focus of the Thunderbolts. With Baron Zemo and Abomination brought back, Taskmaster (the mantle) surviving Black Widow, and with Ghost still alive after Ant-Man and the Wasp, there is no reason for it not to be in the cards. Another feature that could serve as a continuation to John Walker’s story, maybe even bringing Yelena into the mix, and perhaps managing to dig up an Osborn to lead them, is The Dark Avengers. Marvel Studios knows that they can’t top the Avengers team they built up until Avengers: Endgame, so this focus on alternate teams, some of dubious character, would certainly be welcomed as a great change of pace. 

    There are a few projects that have already been announced that played no part in this theory. For all I know they might end up becoming the most crucial chapters of the MCU going forward. The Fantastic Four, due to their relevance, or the Eternals, due to their scope, certainly have that ability. But for now, this is it. Maybe in a couple of months, the script will be flipped and a new article will be in the works.

  • ‘Snowpiercer’s Chinaka Hodge Joins ‘Ironheart’ as Head Writer

    ‘Snowpiercer’s Chinaka Hodge Joins ‘Ironheart’ as Head Writer

    It looks like one of Marvel Studios’ many Disney+ shows has finally found its head writer. Variety reported that Chinaka Hodge has joined the upcoming Ironheart production as its head writer. It will star Dominique Thorne as the iconic inventor Riri Williams, who ends up creating the most advanced suit of armor since Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit. Hodge has built up quite a career with her work on Apple’s Amazing Stories, TNT’s Snowpiercer, and her work in poetry. She is also a founder of The Getback alongside Snowpiercer star Daveed Diggs. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch, the series will consist of six episodes, and production is slated for May. He may be implying pre-production, as no casting news has been made so far.

    Her upcoming Marvel Studios project explores the story of a newly invented character. Williams made her debut back in 2015 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. The 15-year-old MIT student created her own armor by reverse engineering his work. He would end up encouraging her in the comics to continue down the path of heroism. Of course, the MCU saw the passing of the hero during Avengers: Endgame, which means her origin story might be quite different.

    Variety couldn’t offer any details, but there is a good possibility that her series leads into Don Cheadle‘s Armor Wars. It’ll see Tony’s biggest nightmare come true as the world has caught up with his technology, which includes Riri Williams. It’ll be interesting to see how they integrate her character into the franchise and if she might also have a larger role moving forward, as many young heroes are slowly taking over.

    Source: Variety, Twitter