Riri Williams will first debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In an interview with ComicBook.com, the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, let the news slip. Feige stated, “We’re shooting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, right now, and the character of Riri Williams, you will meet in Black Panther 2 first.”
This comes as a surprise. Many fans expected to see Riri Williams’ debut in her Ironheart series on Disney+, not in a movie.
The size of the role Williams will play in Black Panther 2 is a mystery. Whether big or small, Riri Williams will be played by Dominque Thorne in the movie and in her own series.
Originally, Riri Williams’ debut was in a cameo in Invincible Iron Man #7 (2016), but she soon made a full appearance in Invincible Iron Man #9. In the comics, Williams is a teenage engineering genius. At 15 years old, she attends MIT. There, she builds herself an Iron Man style suit. After using the suit to stop two escaped prisoners, Tony Stark gives her his blessing to be her own hero.
Whether Robert Downey Jr. or Tony Stark will be involved in Ironheart is unknown.
Since then, Riri Williams has made several appearances in media outside the comics. She has appeared in animated TV shows like Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron and in several video games. These games include Marvel Puzzle Quest, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, and Marvel Strike Force.
Additionally, Williams is not the first young hero joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Billy and Tommy Maximoff recently debuted on WandaVision, Kate Bishop will debut in the Hawkeye series alongside Jeremy Renner’s version of the character, and Kamala Khan will debut in the Ms. Marvel series later this year.
Presently, Ironheart has no release date. However, Riri Williams’ debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will arrive in theaters on July 8, 2022.