Marvel's old ways got in the way of Ironheart Season 1, yet it still showed that Riri Williams is a star.

Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams finally gets her own Disney+ show, Ironheart, after her stunning début in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The episode starts again with Riri back in Chicago, trying to figure out how to use her talent and what route she wants to take. I had high hopes for this series since I thought it would give a unique spin on the armored hero. However, Ironheart ends up seeming limited by some of the same problems that plague other Marvel Television shows. On the other hand, it does a great job of establishing Riri Williams as a compelling new protagonist.

There's little doubt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been attempting to get its act together on TV, but it's had mixed results. People have praised shows like WandaVision and Loki for their imaginative plots, but others have had trouble with pacing and character development. Ironheart is somewhere in the center. It gives Riri's character a strong base and has some really interesting concepts, but the way it is put together often feels rushed and not fully developed.

The best things about Ironheart are its main themes and characters.

The show is at its best when it focuses on Riri's emotional journey and the AI.

Ironheart is great because it gives Riri Williams more depth as a character. Like Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, we witness her deal with her worries while using her amazing intelligence. The show shows Riri's sadness after the deaths of her best friend Natalie and her stepfather Gary, who was a huge fan of Tony Stark. This emotional core gives Riri a strong reason to want to build her suit and respect her stepfather's memory, which makes her journey very personal.

The relationship between Riri and N.A.T.A.L.I.E., the AI interface Riri makes by scanning her own brain, is one of the most interesting parts of the show. This plot makes you think about what artificial intelligence really is, if it's right to bring someone back to life with technology, and how dangerous it is to have an AI that can get over firewalls. With AI becoming more common these days, these experiments feel quite relevant and give a new level to the heroic story. When Ironheart really digs into its themes, that's when the show really shines.

The mix of science and magic, with Riri's suit fighting The Hood's demon powers, also takes the tale in unexpected areas. The MCU has mostly kept science and mysticism apart, so this conflict between the two is a great and new idea. Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos as The Hood, Lyric Ross as Natalie, and Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy all give great performances that make the material better.

Ironheart had a hard time with the six-episode format.

A lot of character arcs and plot points felt rushed.

Ironheart has some good points, but it suffers a lot from Marvel Television's constant use of a six-episode format. Because of its short runtime, the show often feels like a long movie, which keeps the tale and its many characters from completely breathing. I thought that a lot of the character relationships, especially those between Riri and Parker Robbins and Parker and his crew, were rushed and not well thought out. The show tries to fit in too much, which makes the tones clash and the themes compete for time to blossom.

A great example of this squandered chance is Alden Ehrenreich's character, Joe McGillicuddy. Later, we find out that he is Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, the original Iron Monger from Iron Man. This reveal in episode 3 is a smart approach to link Riri's story to Tony Stark's legacy. But Joe's story, which appeared interesting at first as he deals with his father's bad past, ends up feeling cut short. The show didn't give his character enough time to completely develop, which turned a potentially interesting plot into a squandered chance.

In the same way, The Hood's past and magical skills should have had more time on screen. His intentions and the details of his powers are only shown a little, especially in the latter two episodes. This rushed style also led to certain annoying clichés, such the "hacker" who magically fixes things with a few keyboard smashes. I think Ironheart would have had a better main conflict and more well-rounded side characters if it had had three or four additional episodes.

Ironheart's ending was interesting, even though it had several problems.

The series leaves Riri Williams in a very interesting place.

I thought Ironheart's ending was interesting, even though it had pacing problems. Riri makes a morally unclear choice at the end of the series, which makes an otherwise predictable ending less definite. This move puts Riri in an interesting position for future MCU endeavors, and I can't wait to see what happens to her next. The special effects are as good as those in a movie, and the action scenes, especially the last fight, are really spectacular.

Ironheart may not be as good as Marvel's greatest Disney+ shows like WandaVision or Loki, but it's also not as easy to forget as some of the other new shows. It does a good job of making Riri Williams a flawed, ambitious, and inspiring main character. The series makes a good case for Riri's position in the MCU, even though the show could have used more time to tell its story.

Ironheart's first three episodes are now available to stream on Disney+. The last three episodes will be released on Tuesday, July 1st, at 9 PM EST.

Questions and Answers

What is Riri Williams's role in Ironheart?

Riri Williams, or Ironheart, is a brilliant MIT student and inventor who makes her own high-tech armored suit that is as good as Tony Stark's. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the first time she was seen.

Who is the main bad guy in Ironheart? The Hood.

Anthony Ramos plays Parker Robbins, popularly known as The Hood, who is the main bad guy in Ironheart. He is a charming criminal mastermind with magical abilities.

What does Ezekiel Stane mean in Ironheart?

At first, Alden Ehrenreich's character is called Joe McGillicuddy, but it turns out that he is Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, who was the original Iron Monger in Iron Man. This reveal links the show to Tony Stark's legacy.

How many episodes are there in the first season of Ironheart?

There are six episodes in Ironheart season 1.

Does Ironheart have anything to do with other MCU projects?

Yes, Ironheart takes place after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and has ties to Iron Man through the character Ezekiel Stane. It also looks at the difference between magic and technology, which is something that shows like WandaVision have done before.