Black Panther: Wakanda Forever served as a solid introduction for Riri Williams, but by the time all was said and done, she'd been forced to leave her new suit in Shuri's home nation. However, the sequel established fairly early on that the teenager had a penchant for building Iron Man suits.
If Riri no longer has access to Wakandan technology, it likely explains why the various armours we've seen in set photos have a more homemade feel to them. In fact, currently appears as if Tony Stark/Iron Man will have only a minor role in Riri's origin story, serving as her inspiration and little else.
That could change, though, especially with Alden Ehrenreich thought to be playing Obidiah Stane's son. A new rumour also claims the idea now is for Ironheart to be released in closer proximity to the long-delayed Armor Wars movie (which started off as a TV series).
The project will put Don Cheadle's Rhodey/War Machine front and centre, picking up with the aftermath of Secret Invasion. That show revealed the character has been a Skrull since Captain America: Civil War, and we've all seen how the Department of Damage Control has co-opted Stark Industries tech in recent years.
Ironheart has assembled a cast that includes Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Dominique Thorne as the title character, along with Anthony Ramos, Manny Montana, Shakira Barrera, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Shea Couleé, Zoe Terakes, Paul Calderón, Anji White, and Cree Summer.
Sacha Baron Cohen is believed to be playing Mephisto in Ironheart, though the demonic villain may debut prior to that in the renamed Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Not too long ago, a rumour claimed Mephisto is the new owner of Avengers Tower and, for some reason, has a vested interest in technology.
Ironheart was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato and first appeared in the pages of Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3 #7 in May 2016. She's since become a firm fan-favourite.
We don't currently know when Ironheart will premiere on Disney+, but don't be surprised if it's now as late as 2025.