It’s been a long wait for this Disney+ series, but seeing this classic Iron Man element in the trailer has made me even more excited for the show. Every fan knows about Iron Man’s impact on the MCU as the hero who essentially created the franchise. While he started off as a hero who was still learning the ropes, Iron Man’s MCU journey ended with him being a leader of the Avengers. Some particular younger heroes like Spider-Man see Tony Stark as a mentor, and one upcoming hero takes direct inspiration from him.

Riri Williams first debuted in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, introduced as a student at MIT and a genius inventor. She is the creator of the vibranium detector that the CIA is after, which is how she gets on the Wakandans’ radar. Another one of Riri’s inventions includes a suit that rivals Iron Man’s, which makes sense considering how . Her upcoming Disney+ series will cement her as the hero Ironheart as she must create a new suit, and the show already promises to deliver on some classic Iron Man elements.

Despite Tony’s character embodying a lavish lifestyle, Iron Man actually has a very humble beginning in the MCU. The original Iron Man prototype suit was built in a cave while Tony was held captive by the Ten Rings. He and the doctor Yinsen invent the arc reactor that helps save Tony’s life, along with an armored suit that allows him to escape captivity. Though it’s a clunky suit that is quickly destroyed, it becomes the inspiration for every Iron Man suit to come.

In the early days of the MCU, a lot of the superhero costumes were largely practical. For the first couple of Iron Man movies and The Avengers, Tony’s elaborate suit-up sequences were what made Iron Man seem so unique. The swiftness of his suit-ups showed just how much of a genius inventor he was. Unfortunately, , including Iron Man’s. Especially after Tony adopted the use of nanotech, there was seemingly no need for physical suit-ups anymore.

The physical suit-ups are an element of the MCU that I’ve truly missed. While it is convenient to have a superhero suit materialize out of thin air thanks to nanotech, nothing beats the suspense of watching a hero have to put on every part of their armor. Luckily for old-school MCU fans, It’s extremely fitting considering Riri’s backstory as well as her connection to Iron Man.

Riri got to use a technologically advanced supersuit in Wakanda, but she ultimately wasn’t allowed to leave with it. , and we’ve already gotten a good look at a potential model in the trailer. At one point, Riri looks as if she’s stepping into her suit, with each body part of the suit wrapping around her. It’s a little detail that some general audiences might not even notice, but it’s a great call back to Iron Man’s early days.

Ironheart is the obvious MCU Iron Man successor since her superhero persona is directly inspired by him, but she shows lots of promise to truly live up to the name. The suit shown in the Ironheart trailer has a lot of classic elements of the early Iron Man suits, including the physical suit-up sequences. The history behind Riri’s suit also parallels Tony’s early MCU story, as .

Riri has already proved in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that she is a genius inventor like Tony was, and Ironheart will show how capable she is at thinking on the spot like Tony was as well. The show promises to tell a new kind of story since Riri’s backstory and living situation differ greatly from Tony’s, with their true similarities being in their minds. While the series definitely uses a CGI suit, the fact that they’re bringing back the essence of old-school Iron Man with the physical suit-ups feels extremely fitting.

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  Marvel Cinematic Universe