This characteristic accommodates SPOILERS for Ironheart.4 years after Marvel Studios confirmed that Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) can be getting her personal MCU Disney+ collection, Ironheart has lastly debuted on Disney+. Launched in Black Panther: Wakanda Eternally, Riri Williams/Ironheart has been positioned because the successor to Tony Stark/Iron Man within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nevertheless, Ironheart has largely stayed separate from the world of the Armored Avenger. It’s set in Chicago and incorporates a supporting solid largely tied to Riri Williams and the magical facet of the MCU.
But, within the first three episodes launched on Disney+, Ironheart reveals one character’s stunning ties to the bigger MCU historical past, particularly these of Iron Man. Alden Ehrenreich‘s character has been shrouded in thriller, however the collection has lastly revealed his true id, which is important. This character not solely ties again to the very first Iron Man movie but additionally has comedian ebook origins linked to the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and was virtually one of many franchise’s massive Avengers-level villains: Ezekiel Stane.
Ironheart
- Launch Date
-
June 24, 2025
- Community
-
Disney+
- Showrunner
-
Chinaka Hodge
- Administrators
-
Angela Barnes, Sam Bailey
- Writers
-
Chinaka Hodge
Alden Ehrenreich’s Ezekiel Stane Defined
Alden Ehrenreich, greatest identified for enjoying Han Solo within the Star Wars prequel Solo, was solid in Ironheart again in July 2022. For the collection’ promotional materials and his first two appearances, he’s Joe McGillicuddy, a seemingly strange man who additionally occurs to gather unlawful weapons as a pastime. Proper off the bat, Riri Williams clocks that Joe McGillicuddy seems like a pretend identify, an early indication that he’s not who he says he’s.
Then, in Episode 3, Joe reveals that his identify is Ezekiel Stane and that his father is, actually, Obadiah Stane, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first villain, from 2008’s Iron Man. Obadiah Stane, performed by Jeff Bridges, was Howard Stark’s enterprise accomplice. Obadiah was a mentor to Tony Stark earlier than he ordered successful on him so he may take over Stark Industries. Stane reverses Stark’s authentic Mark I Iron Man armor and turns it into Iron Monger, the place he and Tony Stark have a climactic battle earlier than Stane dies because of Pepper Potts reloading the arc reactor, and Stane falls to his dying. S.H.I.E.L.D. created a canopy story that Stane died in a non-public jet accident. Regardless of Tony Stark revealing his id as Iron Man, Ironheart confirms that the general public nonetheless believes Stane died in a aircraft crash and seemingly did not know he grew to become the Iron Monger.
As of this second, not way more is revealed about Ezekiel’s background as Obadiah’s son. Ezekiel mentions that he’s 36. Ironheart reportedly takes place in 2025, shortly after the occasions of Black Panther: Wakanda Eternally. If he didn’t get blipped in Avengers: Infinity Warfare, that may recommend he was seemingly born in 1989. This implies Ezekiel Stane was about 19 years outdated through the occasions of Iron Man when his father died. The MCU has by no means referenced Obadiah as having a spouse or ex-wife, suggesting that Ezekiel was born out of wedlock, which may point out that neither Obadiah nor Tony Stark knew of his existence.
Ezekiel Stane’s Comedian E book Historical past
Ezekiel “Zeke” Stane was created by author Matt Fraction and artist Barry Kitson and made his Marvel Comics debut in April 2008, only one month earlier than Iron Man was launched in theaters and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born. Just like The Pink Hulk, Marvel partially created Ezekiel Stane to assist promote the titular heroes’ comics as their characteristic movie was being launched (making it becoming that each Ezekiel Stane and The Pink Hulk made their MCU debuts in the identical yr). Provided that Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, the primary villain of Iron Man, had been useless within the comics for years, they determined the comics would partially hook up with the flicks in a bit of name synergy by having Iron Man struggle a Stane, however a newly revealed son.
Ezekiel Stane was the son of Obadiah Stane. Ezekiel Stane was excited about bioweapons and commenced making weapons when he was 9 years outdated. Stane was created as a darkish mirror for Tony Stark/Iron Man and constructed upon the current Extremis storyline. Stane does not have a standard supervillain identify, although he has been known as Iron Monger, the identical moniker his father used.
Associated
Iron Man By no means Acquired to Battle His Joker within the MCU
Regardless of being in ten MCU motion pictures, Iron Man by no means received to face off in opposition to his comedian ebook arch-nemesis. Right here is why and the way it may nonetheless occur.
The Ezekiel Stane launched in Ironheart is definitely completely different from the comics model, at the least on the floor. In Marvel Comics, Stane was launched as pulling the strings of different tremendous villains to get revenge on Tony Stark for killing his father. Whereas the MCU model of Ezekiel Stane does characteristic a big selection of black market weapons, he does not appear to have any use for them and does it as a method to be near his father, Obadiah Stane, with whom he was reportedly not very shut in life. He does appear to have an aversion to Stark know-how, notably Iron Man-type fits, because it drove his father mad, and in addition, it was Iron Man who killed him.
The MCU’s Ezekiel Stane seems to be attempting to keep away from being like his father and is actually somebody who tends to keep away from battle. He’s depicted as being mild-mannered and infrequently neglected. But the ultimate second of Episode 2, “Will the Actual Natalie Please Stand Up,” sees him taking Riri’s recommendation to face up for himself to a darkish implication. He additionally exploits Riri Williams to assist him together with his experiments. Then he’s seen experimenting on himself, attempting to implant weapons into his pores and skin like his comedian ebook counterpart. Whereas he appears to assist Riri Williams’ intent, the collection hints at him taking a villainous flip. Will this be a last-minute swerve for the collection, having him be the true villain within the remaining episode, or is that this planting the seeds for a future storyline?
Ezekiel Stane Nearly Joined the MCU in 2012
Ironheart marks Ezekiel Stane’s MCU debut 17 years after showing within the comics. But he virtually leaped to the large display a lot sooner. Actually, Stane practically appeared in 2012’s The Avengers, which means he would have made the transition from comedian to movie inside a brief 4 years. When Joss Whedon started improvement on The Avengers, he was hesitant that Loki can be a big sufficient menace to warrant bringing the workforce collectively. In one in every of Whedon’s authentic script drafts, he included Ezekiel Stane as one of many co-villains. This definitely made a sure degree of sense, provided that Iron Man was essentially the most profitable MCU movie at that time.
Nevertheless, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige rejected Ezekiel Stane’s inclusion in The Avengers, although his cause has by no means been made clear. A part of it might need been Feige wanting to attract from the traditional Avengers arrange, as the 2 primary villains of the 2012 movie are linked to the workforce’s traditional origins (Loki) and the newer Final Universe (The Chitauri). Both approach, Ezekiel Stane was scrapped from the MCU.
Associated
Why Are There So Many X-Males in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? I Assume I Know the Reply
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ options many X-Males characters, suggesting the MCU will merge two iconic Marvel storylines for the team-up film.
Regardless of Iron Man’s continued presence within the MCU, no rumors ever surfaced about future appearances by Ezekiel Stane. It wasn’t till the announcement of Iron Man-related MCU Disney+ collection like Armor Wars or Ironheart that the thought of Ezekiel Stane making an MCU look began to collect momentum. Since Alden Ehrenreich was solid, followers have been speculating he can be Ezekiel Stane, however they by no means confirmed something, as an alternative specializing in the Hood because the collection’ primary villain.
17 years after Marvel Comics revealed that Obadiah Stane had a secret son, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has executed the identical, tying Ironheart additional again to Iron Man and the very beginnings of the MCU. Ezekiel Stane might be a one-off villain for Ironheart, a bigger menace that might return in future storylines like Armor Wars, or, like Loki, Nebula, and Ghost, a former comedian ebook villain turned anti-hero. Solely time will inform. However regardless of the case, having Ironheart characteristic each the successor to Tony Stark and in addition the son of his first villain, Obadiah Stane, makes Ironheart an amazing legacy-esque sequel to the unique Iron Man. Ironheart is now streaming on Disney+.