The trailer for the Disney+ series Riri is directly inspired by Iron Man in the comics. After he catches wind of her inventions, he acts as a mentor to her as she takes on her own hero mantle. The two come from vastly different backgrounds, yet their stories are parallel in many ways.
Tony was destined for greatness since his father was Howard Stark, founder of Stark Industries. He is first introduced in Iron Man as a rowdy billionaire who already has access to all the technology he could ever need. On the other hand, Riri is a young student from MIT who has a ion for inventing. She has all the potential to become a genius, but she lacks resources. Tony’s MCU story is obviously iconic to the MCU, but Ironheart will be a way for the franchise to explore a story that parallels his in its own way.
Iron Man's Story Revolves Around Him Changing How He Uses His Skills & Resources
Tony Didn’t Like His Resources Being Used For War
At the start of 2008’s Iron Man, Tony is touring war-torn Afghanistan to demonstrate the use of a new missile developed by Stark Industries. They are ambushed by the terrorist organization, the Ten Rings, shortly afterward, and Tony is injured by one of his own missiles. Although he’s able to escape the ordeal, it opened Tony’s eyes to what the technology of Stark Industries was really being used for. Deciding he wanted to change the legacy of his father’s company, he announced that Stark Industries would cease to produce weaponry.
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Tony already had a life path set up for him, and he could’ve easily followed in his father’s footsteps. Seeing the destruction that the Stark technology caused firsthand changed his entire perspective on the business and what he was using his skills and resources for. Even though he’s warned by investors that he may ruin Stark Industries this way, Tony’s whole story revolves around how he changes to use his talents to actually benefit society.
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Riri Has The Ideas But Limited Resources
Riri will be starting from ground zero. The Ironheart trailer confirms that she’s in the process of building a new suit after she had to leave her old one in Wakanda. She is seen applying for a job with Parker Robbins, who then tells her that he can help her achieve greatness, but she will have to do some questionable things to gain her resources in the process. A lack of resources has obviously never been an issue with Tony, so it’s interesting to see a character related to Iron Man who has such a different starting point than him.
The similarities between the two are what ultimately make Riri Iron Man’s MCU successor.
Riri’s struggle in Ironheart will be the exact opposite of Tony’s struggle in the early MCU. With Tony, he knows what he has, but he has to learn to change and adapt his way of using resources. On the other hand, Riri knows how to strive for and gain the things she wants, but it’s about being able to obtain her resources in the “right” way. The similarities between the two are what ultimately make Riri Iron Man’s MCU successor, and their differences are what’s going to make the story feel fresh.
Iron Man's Trilogy Proves Ironheart's Story Has Real Promise
Tony’s Best Moments Are When He Has No Resources To Rely On
Despite being different characters whose projects take place in vastly different circumstances, the Iron Man trilogy proves that Ironheart’s story has real promise. Some of Tony’s best moments in the trilogy are moments where he isn’t able to rely on his abundant resources at Stark Industries. Seeing Tony stripped down to the bare basics is when his genius mind and talent for inventing truly come through, as he’s forced to think on the fly without money to help him.
Tony’s first version of the Iron Man suit was created while held hostage in a cave in Iron Man, and it demonstrated how he doesn’t need his flashy riches to create. He did it again in Iron Man 3 when he was inventing with the child Harley. Riri’s humble beginnings echo these great Tony moments as she will have to create with the limited resources she already has around her. If Ironheart can capture the magic of Tony’s raw inventing moments, then the show will have already delivered on being an Iron Man successor.
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- Marvel Cinematic Universe
