Dominique Thorne Headlines Ironheart in June 2025 Premiere

Ryan Coogler is having a good year. Just a week after his new film, Sinner, was a massive hit at the box office, the director already has another blockbuster waiting for him with the release of Marvel’s upcoming series Ironheart. The studio recently shared a new teaser trailer with a June 2025 premiere just around the corner.

Marvel’s Ironheart follows Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a teenage technological genius who is Tony Stark’s protégé in the comics. The six-episode limited series is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will be the final television series to be released in MCU Phase Five.

Ironheart was first teased by Marvel in December 2020 as a part of the franchise’s next wave of original shows and was initially scheduled for release in 2023. The production company later revealed a shift in its multi-year strategy for the MCU, which involved a decrease in the amount of content released each year to avoid “saturation” of the market. The delay moved the premiere to this summer. Footage first shown at the 2024 D23 convention described the series as “a crime show with an Iron Man twist at the center” with a “gritty, grounded tone” compared to other MCU properties.

Riri Williams first appeared in the MCU in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where her actions brought her into conflict with Namor and his blue-skinned army after developing a vibranium detector while studying at MIT. During the film, Riri and Shuri form a friendship based on their shared interests in science, and Riri eventually builds an armored suit inspired by Iron Man to help the Wakandans fight off the underwater kingdom. When the tide finally turns, she is forced to leave the suit with the Wakandans when leaving for MIT.

A tale of technology and mysticism

Ironheart picks up soon after the events of Wakanda Forever. The official synopsis reads, “Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri—determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins, aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos).”

The series has a notable ensemble cast of supporting players, including Lyric Ross as Riri’s best friend, Natalie Washington; Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy; Manny Montana as Cousin John; Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington; and Anji White as Riri’s mother, Ronnie. Additionally, Shea Couleé will play the character Slug. Jim Rash will reprise his role as the dean of MIT, a character he previously played in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Sacha Baron Cohen has also been confirmed for a role in the series, though no information has been shared on his character.

The new trailer for the show wastes little time in introducing the story. It opens with Riri entering a closed-down pizza restaurant and then getting locked in an elevator with only two minutes to escape before the doors open. Poison gas has been released into the elevator, though the circumstances of the situation are soon revealed to be an “interview” set up by a mysterious figure calling himself The Hood. The person on the intercom warns Riri she will asphyxiate unless she breaks into a floor-mounted safe containing a gas mask. Riri refuses to do so, however, and instead finds another inventive means of escape.

Impressed with Riri’s ingenuity, The Hood suggests she work with him on an undefined “job” that will have her “shake(ing) the industry.” He continues, telling Riri that his plan is “bad news” but that “we’re not in this to do the right thing” before she impulsively accepts his offer. Eager to show off her skills, Riri is momentarily stumped by the reality of what she has done when her friends, especially Natalie, call to warn her about the character’s true intentions. It is a warning she likely should have listened to, if the statement from The Hood that “anyone who has ever accomplished anything iconic in life has had to do some questionable things to get it done” is to be believed.

Ironheart will likely follow Riri Williams on her descent into becoming more like the villainous characters she eventually ends up working with, albeit with the best of intentions. She, like so many others in her position, will be able to get away with breaking the rules to an extent. However, the audience is left to wonder at how much she’s willing to cross that line and what fallout will result.

Marvel has confirmed that the first three episodes of Ironheart will be available on Disney+ on June 24, 2025, with the remaining three episodes coming out every week. No second season has been announced, though it is a possibility if the series is a success. For now, fans can take a look at the action, tension, and drama between characters in the new trailer and a behind-the-scenes featurette.