So a new TV spot just dropped for Ironheart, and my first reaction was...
—irritation.
Believe it or not, I am going to defend the path the MCU took introducing Riri Williams.
Wakanda Forever (intentionally or not) fixes a major issue with Riri as a character. In the comics, Riri is 15, an MIT student (presumably on a full scholarship). She builds her first armor by reverse-engineering Tony Stark’s designs using materials she steals from MIT. Naturally, you’d expect consequences for stealing from your school—especially while on a full scholarship.
Nope. Instead of getting expelled, she attracts the attention of Tony Stark, who mentors her. So, she’s rewarded.
This is the problem with modern writing. While people focus on the identity politics tied to who stars in the show, that isn’t the real issue. The problem is always the writing. Let me say that again for the people who are about to start the name calling. IT IS ALWAYS THE WRITING.
In the MCU, we get a much different Riri. She’s aged up—which makes sense—and her skills draw all the wrong attention. Wakanda tracks her down, and to fight against Namor army, she’s allowed to build a new suit. At the movie’s conclusion, Shuri does not let Riri take the suit with her. Allowing vibranium-based technology to leave Wakanda could escalate geopolitical tensions and potentially endanger both Wakanda and Riri.
Secondly, Wakanda isn’t exactly into sharing that tech—unless you’re Sam Wilson who literally wears the flag of a nation as a symbol… but whatever.
It’s the right call either way and paves the way for Riri’s future in the MCU. She’s no longer shackled to a less-than-honorable beginning. Presumably, like Sam, Shuri and Wakanda would mentor her.
Shuri could easily take Stark’s role here, and we could have a series about what comes next in Riri’s journey. Perhaps we’d get a real coming-of-age story—showing character growth, hardship, and an arc where Riri takes the lessons learned from her Wakanda experience and channels them into heroic action. Like Peter Parker, she would leave her mentorship with a moral compass forged by her trials abroad.
—or maybe not.
Obviously, the series hasn’t started yet, so we can’t know for sure. But five things are already clear to me:
- They’re going to revert Riri to being a thief.
- She’s going to work with the Hood.
- She’s likely going to achieve her “iconic” goal.
- Even though she goes along with The Hood, she'll change her mind and defeat him. (The TV spot makes it clear that Riri knows hes evil, hes trying to convince her to do something she knows is morally wrong.)
- She won’t face any real consequences.
You could say I’m judging too quickly, but as I’ve argued on this site before, this is the trope.
Marvel does not want to show these characters as flawed or wrong. The character doesn’t need to grow or learn from mistakes. It’s everyone else who is just in their way or who doesn’t understand them.
It creates a narrative where Riri is a “Privileged Prodigy”—a genius with entitlement, not struggle. This makes for less interesting characters, and without compelling characters, you can’t create a compelling story.
So what's missing?
The journey. The dues. The consequences.
Peter Parker had to earn his role through pain, sacrifice, and moral trials. Riri often feels like she’s handed greatness just for being smart.
And... it introduces another plot hole.
Wakanda intervened in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier when Zemo was loose—they monitor threats to their interests even outside Wakanda. They also gave Sam his Captain America suit, proving they do get involved when vibranium and international politics are on the line.
So did Wakanda just fall asleep on a kid who can build weapons of mass destruction? You’d think they’d keep tabs on her and intervene when she’s working with a known criminal and flying around in new armor without Wakandan supervision. Wakanda has the tech and clear motivation to monitor her.
Well… except when the writers decide they don’t—so the plot can happen. At minimum, the Ironheart series is ignoring important continuity and logic for narrative convenience. This is a writing flaw—one Marvel and Hollywood continue to ignore.
They seem to believe projects featuring diverse characters can’t show them being wrong, flawed, or forced to grow. These characters don’t go through the hero’s journey. They make questionable choices and “turn good” simply because they decide to, without paying any price for their mistakes. Its born perfect syndrome—and they can’t fix it because that’s how the writers view the world. It reflects a broader cultural shift where hardship is seen more as oppression to avoid than as a crucible for character. But without struggle, there’s no triumph—and that robs the audience of the hero’s journey.
Despite everything Riri has going for her, her decision to steal (in the comics) or potentially do morally questionable things (in the show) comes across not as necessity—but as entitlement. Contrast that with Spider-Man—where intelligence meets hardship and humility. That dynamic is completely absent from Riri’s story.
The MCU accidentally corrected a moral shortfall in Riri’s comic origin. Shuri, by allowing Riri to build her armor under supervision but not take it home, becomes a kind of ethical Tony Stark—one who sets boundaries.
As I outlined in my Marvel’s Missed Opportunity: The Rise and Stall of Sam Wilson article, this is another example of Marvel failing the character. Sure, people will have their opinions either way about the existence of Ironheart, but that is irrelevant. Until Marvel and Hollywood return to proper character development—and stop relying on perceived popular or politically driven tropes—box office and viewership will continue to suffer.