This text accommodates SPOILERS for Ironheart.
Ironheart simply concluded its two-week run on Disney+, bringing the six-episode Marvel Cinematic Universe sequence to an finish and marking the finale of Section 5 of the Multiverse Saga. Regardless of going through a focused overview bombing marketing campaign, Ironheart has emerged as one of many MCU’s greatest Disney+ sequence, because it continues to stand up the rankings on Rotten Tomatoes. The spin-off of Black Panther: Wakanda Perpetually would not precisely conclude Riri Williams’ story; in truth, it seemingly units up a Season 2 that, as of this second, just isn’t greenlit.
Ironheart‘s finale appears to have a number of potential set-ups for different MCU initiatives, together with a returning presence for 3 completely different villains and a rocky street forward for the primary hero. With Ironheart having been delayed by two years, the sequence’ unique intention was more likely to result in initiatives that had both already been launched and wanted to be reworked or had been placed on the again burner at Marvel. This leaves Ironheart as a captivating artifact of what the MCU was presumably constructing in the direction of, and the place it would lead sooner or later in the event that they resolve to select up these plot threads. Listed below are all the massive potential MCU set-ups on the finish of Ironheart.
Ironheart
- Launch Date
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June 24, 2025
- Community
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Disney+
- Showrunner
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Chinaka Hodge
- Administrators
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Angela Barnes, Sam Bailey
- Writers
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Chinaka Hodge
Ironheart’s Deal With Mephisto
Ironheart‘s massive reveal was that Dormammu or the Darkish Dimension didn’t present the Hood’s powers, however as a substitute the demon Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen), who made his long-awaited MCU debut. Mephisto’s arrival within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already a major growth, one that might probably carry over past the Multiverse Saga into no matter Marvel has in retailer past Avengers: Secret Wars, and will change into a formidable villain for a supernatural group of heroes. But throughout the context of Ironheart, he throws a curveball for the viewers.
After Riri Williams defeats Parker Robbins and takes The Hood, she is greeted by Mephisto, who asks her to hitch him for a meal. Mephisto proposes a suggestion to Riri Williams, providing her no matter she needs. After a complete sequence of Riri Williams preventing to fund her life’s work, she seemingly now has a baker who will assist her. Making a take care of the satan is at all times a nasty possibility, and also you’d anticipate the hero to show the villain down. Ironheart makes the daring twist to have Riri Williams settle for the supply in some kind, with Mephisto twisting it to his finish.
The episode then jumps ahead a number of months with Riri in her stepfather’s outdated storage, the place Natalie reveals up. Riri initially thinks it’s her AI assistant, one who was seemingly deleted within the penultimate episode. Riri is quickly shocked to find that it’s not the AI hologram, however the precise Natalie introduced again from the useless. The implication is that Riri requested Mephisto to revive Natalie, assuming it could be the AI, however he introduced again the actual particular person. The magic comes with a value. The ultimate moments earlier than the credit present Riri’s arm being possessed by the same darkish magic scar that the Hood inflicted on Parker Robbins, leaving a giant cliffhanger for what’s going to now occur to the iron-suit-wearing hero.
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In some ways, Mephisto’s inclusion in Ironheart is a becoming parallel to the opposite massive Ryan Coogler-related mission of 2025, Sinners. Sinners additionally encompasses a tempting devil-like determine within the type of Remmick (Jack O’Connell), an Irish vampire who’s trying to flip the all-Black juke joint into vampires and, by extension, achieve management over Samuel “Sammie” Moore, aka Preacher Boy’s (Miles Canton’s) music, co-opting his expertise and by extension the Black expertise for himself. Like Mephisto, Remmick exploits individuals’s wishes.
Each Mephisto and Remmick are stand-ins for the way the white institution preys on and takes benefit of the work and passions of younger Black people for his or her achieve, but the 2 tales function mirrors for each other. Sinners ends with Sammie escaping and defeating Remmick. In distinction, Ironheart concludes with Riri Williams hanging a take care of the satan in service of a bigger purpose, seemingly contemplating an even bigger image that may result in her self-sacrifice within the service of others. That may make Ironheart a tragic ending, although it’s unlikely Marvel needs to finish the story there.
Parker Robbins Will Return… In ‘Unusual Academy’?
As is customized, MCU initiatives finish with a post-credit scene. Whereas not each episode of the MCU tv sequence ends with post-credit scenes, the ultimate episode usually does, and Ironheart isn’t any exception. Ironheart reveals Parker Robbins after his battle with Riri Williams, and with out his magical hood. He goes to the magic store Riri and her mom visited earlier and meets Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah), Riri’s magical confidante, who helped imbue her go well with with magic. Parker Robbins says he’s searching for some actual magic and is aware of that Zelma can do it, so he proposes they work collectively earlier than the episode and the sequence come to an finish.
Zelma originated in Physician Unusual, vol. 4 #1, launched in October 2015, and was created by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo. She was an apprentice of Physician Unusual within the comics. Whereas the MCU model of the character at present has no direct connection to the character, it was established earlier that her mom, Madeleine Stanton (Cree Summer season), previously skilled at Kamar-Taj earlier than leaving to boost her daughter and had homeschooled her with primarily magical means. Madeline herself would haven’t any direct connection to Physician Unusual, as, given Zelma’s age, she would have left earlier than Stephen Unusual arrived at Kamar-Taj in 2016.
There’s a likelihood that Zelma Stanton was meant to spin-off into Unusual Academy, a Disney+ sequence that was within the works that may have centered on a magic faculty of sorcerers and wizards within the MCU. Unusual Academy, together with Nova and Terror Inc., was placed on maintain following a restructuring of the MCU’s future. Rumors counsel that Unusual Academy is now being thought-about for both a Disney+ sequence or a function movie, and the post-credit scene for Ironheart could have been initially meant to set that up. It offers Zema Stanton a brand new mission to delve into and connect with the broader MCU, but additionally carries over Parker Robbins to presumably introduce a brand new Hood, even perhaps one by Dormammu, as seen within the comics and the sequence, which misdirected followers.
Ezekiel Stane Might Provide Supervillain Weapons
Riri Williams would not simply cease The Hood, however her climactic combat additionally sees her cease Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich). Initially Riri’s ally, Ezekiel was unintentionally arrested when certainly one of his unlawful weapons was discovered at against the law scene. He’s damaged out by Parker, who upgrades Ezekiel’s natural bioweaponary.
Unbeknownst to Ezekiel, Parker overrides the controls so he can achieve management of Ezekiel each time he needs, and following Parker’s crew leaving, he cashes in on Ezekiel. Despite the fact that Ezekiel had beforehand sparred with Riri and appeared sad with Parker controlling him, he did seem to wish to combat Ironheart to the dying. Even when she defeated Ezekiel, he informed her they weren’t completed, and he would return to actual his revenge.
Ezekiel’s destiny is left unknown on the finish of Ironheart, however it was clear Marvel Studios was laying the groundwork for him to return in future MCU initiatives. He may need had certainly one of his roles already minimize, as rumors indicated Ezekiel was alleged to return in Captain America: Courageous New World. When Ironheart was introduced at San Diego Comedian Con in 2022, the sequence was set to debut in Fall 2023, a number of months earlier than the discharge of Captain America: Courageous New World, which had a scheduled Could 2024 launch date. Rumors have circulated that Ezekiel was initially going to have outfitted the Serpent Society with their bioweapons in the beginning of Captain America: Courageous New World.
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But, as a result of WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, each Ironheart and Captain America: Courageous New World had been delayed significantly. As a substitute of popping out first, Ironheart has now been launched after Captain America: Courageous New World. Ironheart‘s delay may need necessitated some transforming of Captain America: Courageous New World, because the Serpent Society was one of the vital components altered throughout the reshoots, and the group was reimagined as a extra streamlined paramilitary black-ops unit.
What this implies for Ezekiel Stane now could be a thriller. Theoretically, the character might pop up in any variety of MCU titles and be revealed because the weapon provider for varied organizations and stand-alone villains, together with giving him some precise superpowers together with his physique enhancements. He would definitely be an excellent match for no matter Marvel Studios has deliberate for Armor Wars now, and will tie into plans for Sharon Carter/The Energy Dealer, if any exist. Ezekiel Stane, Riri Williams’ take care of Mephisto, and the Parker Robbins tease on the finish of Ironheart all communicate to a bigger problem: no person is aware of what the long run holds for Ironheart.
Will Ironheart Return to the MCU?
That Cannot Be the Final Time We See the Character
Ironheart has actually left loads of fascinating plot threads to be explored in future MCU initiatives. Nonetheless, the massive query is that if a hypothetical Ironheart Season 2 is within the playing cards. Other than Loki, not one of the live-action MCU Disney+ sequence have returned for Season 2. Collection like WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had their open-ended natures already confirmed to be continued in function movies, reminiscent of Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity, The Marvels, and Captain America: Courageous New World, respectively. Ironheart is at present not confirmed to return in any MCU movie, even Avengers: Doomsday, seemingly placing the sequence in the identical boat as Moon Knight, one other MCU tv sequence that ended with a giant cliffhanger that, three years later, nonetheless has but to be resolved.
Riri Williams’ story would not essentially have to proceed in Ironheart Season 2. Nonetheless, the ending reveal of Riri’s take care of Mephisto and the continued risk of Ezekiel Stane appear extra satisfying in a hypothetical Season 2, somewhat than a part of one other story. As Marvel Tv reassesses its plans for Disney+ programming, the way forward for Riri Williams and Ironheart stays unsure.
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Ironheart actually might lend itself to Marvel Studios’ plans for the tv facet to deal with extra street-level tales. Regardless of the appreciable publicity surrounding Ironheart as Iron Man’s successor, her story has extra in frequent with that of Daredevil and even Ant-Man. It’s a small-scale story a few regular lady from Chicago, far faraway from the glamorous superhero tales. Ironheart might be a two-to-three-season MCU sequence that not solely follows her continued battle with Mephisto and Ezekiel Stane however might additionally pull in ideas from the Unusual Academy sequence in addition to probably herald different MCU characters who seemingly haven’t got a set place sooner or later, like Moon Knight or She-Hulk.
On condition that Riri Williams additionally originated in Black Panther: Wakanda Perpetually and Ryan Coogler is the sequence producer, he might carry her again for Black Panther 3. Nonetheless, her take care of Mephisto will doubtless must be skimmed over, because it appears uncertain that the acclaimed filmmaker has a task for the demon within the third Black Panther movie. There’s additionally an opportunity for Riri Williams/Ironheart’s story to proceed within the Younger Avengers, a mission the MCU has been teasing for the reason that begin of the Multiverse Saga.
There’s lots to invest about Riri Williams’ future within the MCU. Hopefully, Marvel Studios and Disney will acknowledge the obvious overview bombing for the sequence and never quit on the sequence or the character. Ironheart has planted many thrilling potential seeds that might develop into new tales, constructing out throughout the MCU and connecting completely different franchises. It could be a while earlier than followers see Ironheart once more (although star Dominique Thorne has hinted at a doable Avengers: Doomsday cameo), however fortunately, Marvel usually delivers on the guarantees it makes to audiences: these characters will return. Ironheart is streaming on Disney+.