Summary
In December 2020,Marvel Studiosannounced plans to releaseIronheartbased on thecomic book series of the same namecreated by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato. Up-and-coming actor Dominique Thorne was announced to tackle the role of Riri Williams, who would go on to make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. Shortly after the premiere of the movie, production kicked off on theIronheartseries for DIsney+ with little news surfacing after.
Production on the series has long since wrapped, and while otherMarvel Studios' shows have come and gone,Ironhearthas yet to receive a release date. Rumors have suggested the series will receive extended reshoots this year, but Marvel Studios never confirmed this. Now, nearly two years since the series entered production, one has to wonder ifIronheartwill be the latest Marvel Studios title to face an uphill battle leading up to its eventual release.
Ironheart’s Production Has Come and Gone
In April 2022, it was revealed that directors Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes had signed on to direct episodes ofIronheartfor Marvel Studios. News of the directors came after it was revealed thatAnthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, Manny Montana, and Sacha Baron Cohen had joined the project. Production officially kicked off in June 2022, and continued all the way through October. The expectation was that the series would release the following year, but the series was seemingly put on hold. In fact, other shows, such asEchoandLokiSeason 2, have already filmed and made their debuts on Disney+ and the former was announced in November 2021. More interestingly, though, is that theWandaVisionspinoff,Agatha, seems to have more news to offer thanIronheart, and that project was revealed after Riri’s show.
Like most Hollywood projects, reshoots are a certainty onIronheart. However, with little to no news regarding the show and when it will be revealed, fans have understandably been concerned whether the reshoots will be extensive, like withCaptain America: Brave New World, or just the standard additional photography. While fans have to wait and see what Marvel has in store for Riri going forward, Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum has assured fans editing is underway on the series. In an interview withAgents of Fandomback in March, he expressed his excitement over bothIronheartandWonder Man, promising both series would explore new corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Yeah, absolutely. We’re editing both of those shows as we speak. They’re spectacular, they’re amazing, and they’re different. We’re able to explore corners of the universe that are really exciting. Riri Williams is one of them and I cannot wait for people to meet Simon Williams.”
Ironheart’s Post-Production Woes
Since the series has wrapped production,Ironhearthas been met with a flurry of rumors. Some of them have suggested that because the series is heavily connected to forthcoming projects within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios has opted not to release the series just yet. While other rumors have suggested that Marvel Studios isn’t happy with how the series came out and would ultimately be canceling the project. That rumor more than likely came fromBob Iger’s commentsabout Marvel Studios needing to return to focusing on quality over quantity. He hinted that some previously announced projects might not happen following the studio’s financialwoes at the box office, and since then, fans have been trying to figure out exactly what projects those might be.
Thankfully, the project seems to not be on the chopping block and looks to be inching closer towards an official release. Recent rumors indicated thatIronheartis expected to undergo extended reshoots, which would put the series closer to a 2025 release. It’s unclear why the project is expected to undergo such big reshoots, however, it is of note that one of the cast members -Sacha Baren Cohen- has found himself in hot heat recently thanks to former costar Rebel Wilson. With the studio already having todeal with the controversysurrounding former Kang actor, Jonathan Majors, it is always possible the studio is trying to figure out a way to handle the inclusion of Cohen in the series. As it stands, though, nothing is set in stone, and unfortunately forIronheart’s sake, the rumor mill is unlikely to let up anytime soon. At least, not unless Marvel Studios offers up some sort of release news for fans.
As it stands,Ironheartis going to have an uphill battle leading to its release. Much likeEchodid before it launched. With so many rumors plaguing the series, it seems unlikely fans will stop speculating until they have something official to distract them with. What will be interesting to see is if the series manages to overcome those rumors once the series finally premieres. With a talented actress in the leading role, exciting writers and directors behind the scenes, and an impressive supporting cast,Ironheartseems to have everything going for it. Now, all Marvel Studios needs to do is unleash the series and allow it to speak for itself.
