When the news broke that Solo: A Star Wars Story's Alden Ehrenreich would play Joe McGillicuddy in Ironheart, it's fair to say that nobody was buying it. Well, the show's second episode does indeed introduce the actor as "Joe McGillicuddy."
He lives in a suburban neighbourhood and is an unassuming, sad sap who allows his next door neighbour's dog to poop on his lawn with little in the way of consequences.
When Riri Williams shows up on his doorstep looking for help with her suit, we learn that his father inspired him to become a tech ethicist. He's a big fan of bionics (the process of combining technology with human biology), and ultimately agrees to take Riri to his stash, where he's collected all manner of crazy weaponry...without touching any of it.
Their meeting appears to inspire him, though, and when he steps in more dog poop at the end of the episode, he spitefully cuts off the heads of his neighbour's beloved flowers, a hint perhaps that he has a darker side.
In the third instalment, it's revealed that Joe has some wild ideas for body enhancements, and he manages to blackmail Riri into helping him. When she returns to his house, he's experimented with placing a chip in his arm, and they begin forming an unlikely friendship.
As she helps bandage up his arm, Riri finds some ashes labelled "Obidiah S." and proceeds to drop them in surprise. As Joe hoovers those up, he reveals that they're his father's ashes and that he's Obidiah Stane's son, Ezekiel Stane.
The world believes Obidiah died in a plane crash, but Ezekiel knows he was a supervillain and has spent his life trying to avoid being like "Iron Monger" (yes, that moniker is used here).
In the comics, Zeke Stane spent his whole life plotting revenge against Tony Stark for what happened to his father, and ultimately upgraded himself with bionics that made him a living weapon. You'll have to wait and see whether his MCU counterpart follows in those footsteps, but this Ezekiel doesn't appear quite as unhinged...and neither seems to hate Iron Man nor idolise his dear, departed dad.
Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Television’s Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) - a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world - returns to her hometown of Chicago.
Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka "The Hood" (Anthony Ramos).
The series also stars Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White. Chinaka Hodge is head writer and executive producer; episodes are directed by Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes.
The first three episodes of Ironheart are now streaming on Disney+.