Ezekiel Stane from Ironheart was a missed chance to make the villain's story more interesting.

Ironheart, a Disney+ show, welcomed a new generation of tech geniuses to the MCU, but it also added a character with deep, convoluted roots to the franchise's very origins. Alden Ehrenreich's performance as Ezekiel Stane, who was first presented as the quiet Joe McGillicuddy, quickly became one of the most interesting portions of the show. Ezekiel had a lot to live up to as the son of Obadiah Stane, the first bad guy in Iron Man. Even while the setup was interesting, I can't get the feeling that his potential for a really powerful villain storyline was left frustratingly unfinished.

Ironheart has a lot to do, that's for it. It had to balance Riri Williams' journey with new threats like The Hood and even Mephisto. Ezekiel Stane, on the other hand, felt like he deserved more than the unclear finish he got because he had a special link to Tony Stark's past. His role gave us a chance to look at topics like hereditary legacy, technological progress, and the blurry lines between hero and evil in a way that few other MCU characters could. Instead, we have to ponder what may have been for a figure who could have been a great villain.

The Change in Ezekiel Stane from an Awk Kesher to a Reluctantekt.

Obadiah Stane's son had a lot to live up to.

Alden Ehrenreich plays Joe McGillicuddy, a socially awkward tech collector who unexpectedly connects with Riri Williams when we first meet him. Their encounters, including a fun carpool karaoke scene, made it seem like they were going to be a weird, maybe even heroic, couple. But when it was revealed that Joe is really Ezekiel Stane, the son of the infamous Obadiah Stane, the situation changed right away. This link to the MCU's first big bad guy, the guy who betrayed Tony Stark, boosted the stakes and my hopes right away.

Ezekiel Stane is a smart, cruel inventor in the comics who blames Tony Stark for his father's death and wants to make Iron Man useless by adding advanced bionics to his own body. At first, the show's character seemed to be running away from that legacy, but when The Hood forced him to become a bionic weapon, he became more like his comic book counterpart. He got powers like tremendous strength and repulsor blasts, which made him a tough opponent for Riri. It was interesting to see how this character changed from a strange ally to a powerful, controlled weapon, yet it felt rushed.

The Ending of Ezekiel Stane's Unresolved Anger

There were too many questions after his "Hard Reset."

The climax of Ezekiel's story in Ironheart saw him entirely under The Hood's control, with his bionic implants hacked to make him move like a puppet. Riri Williams finally liberated him by kicking him in the sole part of his body that wasn't bionic. This caused a "hard reset" that shattered Parker Robbins' control. This gave Ezekiel back his power, but also made him "bitter and unresolved." His last comments to Riri, "We're not done," properly showed how angry he still was and how much the expensive tech was still in his body.

What really let me down about this finale, or lack of an ending, was that it wasn't clear what happened. Ezekiel is not in jail, and he doesn't clearly choose a side between Riri and The Hood. He is at a crossroads, unsure of which way to go, with upgrades that are advanced but unstable. Alden Ehrenreich has said that he wanted his character's fate to be open-ended and that he hopes showrunner Chinaka Hodge would keep looking into Zeke's journey. I understand the need for future stories, but leaving such an interesting character in limbo feels like a squandered chance to give his first arc a truly gratifying ending.

I think Ezekiel Stane should have had a clearer route ahead, whether he was a full-fledged villain who embraced his father's history or a complicated anti-hero who was having trouble with his new talents and his background. The program might have made him a major, recurring threat or a person with a lot of problems, but instead, he's just a loose end. When his present feels so incomplete, it's impossible to truly invest in his future. It's clear that a figure with such a strong connection to the MCU's beginnings could have had a bigger effect.

Why Ezekiel Stane's Story Should Have Been More Important

The series would have been better if it had gone deeper.

Ezekiel Stane may have been a very different kind of villain in the MCU. Ezekiel's reasons for doing things may have been much more complicated than his father's, who was mostly motivated by avarice and anger toward Tony Stark. The series hinted to his dread of becoming like his father and his first hesitation to be a bad guy. This inner turmoil, together with his forced bionic change, may have resulted to a character that has trouble figuring out who he is and how much his family name means to him. If he had gone into greater detail about this internal conflict, he would have been a much more interesting character.

It's hard to believe that a figure who is so closely related to the first MCU villain wouldn't be more important to Riri Williams' story, especially since she is taking over for Tony Stark in the tech world. It's interesting to think about a "next generation" Iron Man enemy who is a mix of biology and technology. I was looking for a clearer announcement about his path that would make sure he will be in the MCU's future. His ending, on the other hand, felt like a placeholder for a possible season 2 or another project that might or might not happen.

You may watch Ironheart on Disney+.

Questions and Answers About Ezekiel Stane in Ironheart

What role does Ezekiel Stane play in Ironheart?

Alden Ehrenreich plays Ezekiel Stane, who is introduced as Joe McGillicuddy, a strange tech collector. Later, we find out that he is the son of Obadiah Stane, the bad guy from the first Iron Man movie.

At the end of Ironheart, what happens to Ezekiel Stane?

Riri Williams does a "hard reset" on Ezekiel Stane's bionic modifications at the end of Ironheart, which frees him from The Hood's control. He is angry and hasn't gotten over it yet. He tells Riri, "We're not done," which suggests that there may be more trouble in the future.·· His destiny remains unclear.

What can Ezekiel Stane do in Ironheart?

The Hood pays for Ezekiel Stane's bionic modifications, which give him more strength and the ability to shoot blasts from his fingertips that are like repulsors. This makes his body a living weapon.

What is the link between Ezekiel Stane and Obadiah Stane?

Obadiah Stane, who was Tony Stark's business partner and the major bad guy in the 2008 movie Iron Man, is the father of Ezekiel Stane. In the movie, he became the Iron Monger.

Is Ezekiel Stane coming back to the MCU?

Ezekiel Stane's unclear ending and Alden Ehrenreich's statements hint that he might come back in future MCU stories, maybe in a second season of Ironheart or another project.