Warning! This review contains SPOILERS for Ironheart season 1, episodes 4-6.I enjoyedIronheartway more than I expected to. That became clear to me when episode 6 ended, and I found myself desperately in need of more of these characters and an explanation of what just happened with that massive cliffhanger ending.Marvel Studios' latest series does not feature Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man despite its connections to the character and how certain players approach Tony Stark’s legacy. However, there is a lot to love, and Ironheart’s new suit enhanced with magic couldhelp set the stage for Downey’s return as Doctor DoominAvengers: Doomsday.
At the moment, no decision has been made aboutIronheart’s future. While the show was part of Marvel’s initial plan of event series, many of which were never meant to get a second season, the MCU’s new mandate is to have more multi-season releases. As such, I remain hopeful thatIronheartseason 2 could happen, and it would allow Marvel to explore one of the franchise’s biggest additions in years. The second half ofIronheartfeatured plenty of surprises, some of which worked and some did not.
Mephisto Finally Makes His MCU Debut After A Long Wait
Marvel Studios Cast The Perfect Actor For The Role
While a lot certainly happened inIronheart’s final three episodes, I can’t help but dive right into the main event.After years of theories about where he could show up, which started in 2021 with Disney+‘sWandaVision, Mephisto finally made his debut inIronheart. Not only that, but the rumors about who would be playing him were proven accurate, with Sacha Baron Cohen giving life to Mephisto. The character’s debut is a game-changer for both the show and the larger MCU. InIronheart, Mephisto throws Riri Williams’ life upside down in good and bad ways.
I was heartbroken at the end ofIronheartepisode 5 when it seemed like the AI Natalie had been deleted forever.
I was shocked to see Riri make a deal with Mephisto. The villain told her that he wanted to build something iconic with her once-in-a-generation mind, and in return for Riri being marked by their contract, he gave her the one thing she wanted the most. I was heartbroken at the end ofIronheartepisode 5 when it seemed like the AI Natalie had been deleted forever. We would never see her again — that is, until Mephisto gave Riri something even better than her return. He brought back the real Natalie from the dead.
I have a lot of questions about what this means for the story ofIron Man’s MCU replacementand what other characters Mephisto could potentially bring back to life. To me, the show’s most emotional storyline firmly remained Riri and Natalie’s friendship and her tragic death. As such, I fully understand that Riri would make a deal with someone like Mephisto — and after everything she saw the Hood do while under his influence — if it meant getting Natalie back. Cohen was pitch-perfect as Mephisto, with a performance that was equal parts creepy and alluring. I want more of him.
The Hood Will Return For More As The MCU Continues To Explore Magic
Ironheart Season 2 Could See The Villain Be Riri’s Salvation
One of the best parts of Marvel Studios' foray into Disney+ is how many TV shows connected with magic we have seen from the franchise. While the films' connection to magic remains largely with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, the shows have introduced several exciting concepts and characters to that side of the franchise. Regan Aliyah’s Zelma Stanton is one of my favoriteIronheartcharacters, with her role in the second half of the season helping Riri understand the Hood and giving us clues about who his master could be, though Dormammu ended up as a misdirection for Mephisto.
The Hood showed a lot of promise throughout the season, but I feel like the show could have done more with him.
It was through Zelma that Riri managed to find a way to fight the Hood. With a new suit that united technology and magic, Riri ended up being too powerful and smart for Anthony Ramos' Parker Robbins. The Hood showed a lot of promise throughout the season, but I feel like the show could have done more with him. While seeing him send his crew after Riri over Ironheart killing John, his cousin, was exciting, and the origin of the Hood and Mephisto’s connection was intriguing, he was defeated way too easily.
But it seems like that will not be the end of the road for the character.Ironheart’s post-credits scene showed Parker approaching Zelma at her store to get her help on “heavy-duty magic.” Riri’s journey in the show was different from what I expected. First, she fell into the criminal world to get money for her suit. Now, she makes a deal with the devil to get her best friend back. With Riri essentially belonging to Mephisto, Zelma and the Hood might be the only ones who can save her, which would excitingly flip the show’s plot.
Riri Williams Should Have Been A Better Friend To Zeke Stane
Iron Man’s Legacy Was Tackled By Both Characters In Different Ways
Finally, I wanted to touch on one ofIronheart’s best characters. Alden Ehrenreich was simply a delight as Zeke Stane. After having fun with the character in the first half of the show,Ironheartepisode 4 very quickly took Zeke in a heartbreaking direction. All he feared would happen came true, with Riri’s lack of listening to his request about the bio-mesh not tracing back to him leading to Zeke’s life falling apart. He was sent to prison and the whole world learned he was not Joe McGillicuddy, but Obadiah Stane’s son.
Essentially, Riri Williams turned the character who wanted to be nothing like his father into a new version of the MCU’s first villain from 2008’sIron Man.
That led to one of my biggest fears coming true, as Zeke decided to enhance himself with bionics to become a living weapon under the Hood’s control. Essentially, Riri turned the character who wanted to be nothing like his father into a new version of the MCU’s first villain from 2008’sIron Man. While I like Dominique Thorne’s Riri due to how complex a character she is, operating in the gray and making divisive choices, I wish she could have handled things with Zeke better.
WithIronheart’s six episodes now over, I’m left with more positives than negatives. While the Hood and his crew could have been developed better, and Riri’s relationships could have been given more time to breathe, I’m happy with most of what the show chose to do. The major set pieces in the last half of the season were exciting, as the grand action sequences worked, though the Hood’s fight with Riri could have been longer. There is some solid setup forIronheartseason 2, and I hope Marvel chooses to renew it so Mephisto and Riri’s dynamic is spotlighted.
Ironheart Season 1, Episodes 4-6
Cast
Ironheart: Following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart introduces Riri Williams, a prodigious inventor navigating her path back in Chicago. Balancing her inventive prowess in creating iron suits with the enigmatic presence of Parker Robbins, known as The Hood, Riri finds herself at the intersection of technology and magic.
