One of Marvel Studios' upcoming offerings just got another heavy-hitter added to its cast list. The latest news about the successor to Iron Man's status as resident tech genius suggests that things may be revving up for the new Ironheart series. But what implications could this fresh Lyric Ross casting announcement have for the show itself?
The story of Ironheart focuses on Riri Williams, who essentially continues the legacy of Iron Man with the help of her own genius-level intellect. In the comics, Riri's best friend Natalie passed away long before she became the hero Ironheart. But her memory lived on thanks to Riri's creation of the artificial intelligence N.A.T.A.L.I.E., which took the form of her lost friend. Working together similarly to how Tony Stark and J.A.R.V.I.S. (And later F.R.I.D.A.Y.) Operated, Riri and N.A.T.A.L.I.E. Would essentially be inseparable in their crime-fighting endeavors. So depending on how things shake out, fans of Ross might want to brace themselves for something a little different.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned Marvel Studios' upcoming Disney Plus series Ironheart has now added Ross of This Is Us fame to its growing roster of onscreen talent. According to the announcement, Ross will play the best friend of main character Riri Williams, played by If Beale Street Could Talk star Dominique Thorne. That already suggests that Ross will have a pretty prominent role in the series, but those familiar with the previously mentioned Ironheart story in the Marvel comics may already be bracing themselves for some heavy stuff as the story progresses.
Ross will join Ironheart's steadily-increasing cast, which includes Thorne as Riri and In the Heights star Anthony Ramos in a currently unknown role. Aside from This Is Us, she's also made appearances in series like Chicago Fire and Sirens, while keeping up a steady film career with other projects including Canal Street and imminent coming-of-age movie The Class. Having already been acting for quite some time at a relatively young age, she seems like a perfect fit for Ironheart, which features a high school-aged hero.
It's unclear whether Ross will play Natalie, the artificial intelligence N.A.T.A.L.I.E., or another character entirely. The original announcement from THR only mentioned that she'd be playing Riri's best friend. Perhaps that's just a sly way of keeping things under wraps for those who haven't read the comics and don't want to be spoiled (sorry).
However things shape up, it will be interesting to finally see Riri Williams appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character herself will make her official debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so eager fans hopefully shouldn't have to wait too much longer to get their first glimpse.
Ironheart is set to begin filming in June 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter