Riri Williams, a brilliant tech prodigy and a young Black woman with both brains and guts is the kind of character you instantly want more of. But unfortunately, Marvel’s Ironheart is one of those cases where good intentions meet messy execution. What kicks off as a promising adventure soon dissolves into a chaotic blend of half-baked magic and a storyline that veers in too many directions.
Riri is far from your typical superhero. Forget Tony Stark with his billions and gleaming tech, this MIT student builds her suit out of scrap metal, duct tape, and raw genius. After getting expelled for selling her gadgets to fellow students, she’s forced to move back in with her mother in Chicago. There, she clings to her dream of making it in tech with nothing but grit and leftover parts. The real difference between her and Tony Stark isn’t just money, it’s perspective. And that contrast is, without a doubt, the show’s strongest foundation.
The first few episodes manage something surprisingly rare for a Marvel series: they actually feel real. Not another bland CGI metropolis, but the gritty, lived-in South Side of Chicago, complete with subway tracks, Cubs flags, and graffiti-covered walls. It’s a setting that breathes. The themes the show touches on, grief, inequality, the strength of community are well chosen and hit the right emotional notes.
The deaths of Riri’s friend Natalie and her stepfather give the story a much-needed emotional backbone. Natalie even reappears as an AI integrated into Riri’s tech, a smart, touching concept. Or at least, it could have been. While the idea is compelling, its execution doesn’t quite land the way it should.
Up until the halfway mark, Ironheart seems to be shaping into a fun, high-tech heist caper. Riri, tempted by the promise of quick cash, joins a ragtag group of misfits: a few forgettable muscleheads, a flamboyant drag queen hacker, and their bland leader, Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos) a villain so generic he never once feels threatening or convincing.
Ironheart clearly wants to be heartfelt and sincere, but it loses itself in a mess of undercooked ideas.
Then the show takes a hard left turn: rituals, magic, cloaks. And that’s where things fall apart. Riri, a grounded tech genius, feels completely out of place in a world of spells and mystical mumbo jumbo. The series itself struggles to bridge the gap between science and sorcery. The result? A muddled plot and plenty of raised eyebrows.
The biggest frustration? You can feel the potential bubbling underneath. There’s one standout fight scene, brilliant in its absurdity. Bold action, sharp humor, perfect timing. This is the kind of energy the series needed more of. And the chemistry between Dominique Thorne and supporting cast members like Alden Ehrenreich (as Joe McGillicuddy) brings the show some much-needed spark and momentum.
But sadly, for every scene that lands, there are three characters you can’t help but wonder why they’re even in the script. The show struggles with balance. Just when it starts to find its rhythm, it stumbles again, tripping over its own lack of direction.
Criticism of the series will no doubt get drowned out by the usual chorus of “WOKE!” backlash. Yes, there are characters who’ll inevitably be thrown into that culture war crossfire. But the real issue here isn’t representation, it’s weak writing. These characters don’t feel lived-in, don’t leave much of an impression, and often seem like they’re included out of obligation rather than narrative purpose.
Ironheart clearly wants to be heartfelt and sincere, but it loses itself in a mess of undercooked ideas. It’s as if the writers tried to juggle too much at once and forgot to draw a clear line through it all. Dominique Thorne deserves better. Much better. Her take on Riri Williams is fresh, sharp, and deeply human a superhero built for a new generation. But Ironheart just can’t decide what kind of show it wants to be. The finale, complete with a cliffhanger, is bound to split audiences.
Die-hard Marvel fans might still find some fun in the mix. But if you were hoping for a cohesive, groundbreaking story, prepare to be disappointed. The series just misses the mark. Its saving graces? Thorne’s charisma, a handful of standout scenes, and a mysterious new character played by none other than Mr. Borat himself: Sacha Baron Cohen. Curious? You’ll find out more when the final three episodes drop on Disney+ starting July 1.
For all its flaws, Ironheart is still worth sticking with, if you can look past the cringe moments and tired clichés. Especially for Marvel fans, there are plenty of Easter eggs and surprises to uncover. The final two episodes are easily the show’s strongest, offering glimpses of what could have been. But in the end, this is yet another Marvel production that falls into a familiar pattern: plenty of promise, but a middling execution.
The first three episodes of Ironheart are available now, with the final three set to premiere on July 1, 2025.
This article has been written in partnership with The Nerd Shepherd.
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