Iron Man’s MCU Replacement Perfectly Inverts Tony Stark’s Iconic Origin Story

Since the sad death of Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, the issue of who would replace him has lingered over the MCU – and the answer gives a fascinating twist on Tony’s past. Tony Stark left big shoes to fill as the former captain of the Avengers and a brilliant scientist credited with mastering nanotechnology and uncovering the key to time travel. His influence can be felt all across the planet. While there are other individuals who may be considered spiritual heirs to Iron Man, including his mentee Peter Parker and his best friend and teammate James Rhodes, the MCU Phase 4 cleverly established who his direct replacement is.

The most difficult aspect of choosing a replacement for Iron Man is the risk that the next hero will be an exact duplicate of Tony and will live in his shadow. To thrive, a successor must not only repeat characteristics of the previous hero that people adored, but also introduce a novel take on the hero, establishing that, while this character will reverence the original’s history, they are, in reality, their own person. While Iron Man’s successor hasn’t seen much screen time, they’ve already distinguished themselves from Tony in their origin tale, indicating a fresh, exciting future for the character.

Ironheart’s MCU Origin Story Reverses Iron Man’s

Riri Williams is the most obvious substitute for Iron Man, and her origin story perfectly mirrors his. Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, is an engineering genius who, like Iron Man, attends MIT. Her technology is sought after and employed by the US government, making her a target for international threats, as Tony was. Their parallels, however, cease there. Tony Stark leads a powerful weapons firm responsible for mass bloodshed and death in Iron Man’s origin narrative. Riri, on the other side, constructs a vibranium detector as a public service in order to mine for a valuable natural resource.

Tony and Riri’s differences persist. Tony’s weapons lead to his kidnapping by a terrorist organization, who forces him to design a weapon that will harm innocent people in exchange for his life. Riri, on the other hand, is invited to Wakanda to guard her from Talokanans who want to harm her. Tony deceives his captors by constructing an iron suit to escape, murdering them in the process. Riri creates an iron suit to shield Wakandans from the Talokan and protects Wakanda when it is attacked. These major contrasts completely reframe Riri as a hero, laying the groundwork for a totally different character path.

How Ironheart’s Reversed Origin Aids in Character Development
Tony’s characterization is defined by the fact that he accidentally becomes a hero after being put in peril. Tony’s kidnapping is so traumatic for him that once he’s safe, he closes his weapons manufacturing section because he can’t bear the thought of being responsible in the suffering he’s caused. He then spends the most of his life as a hero, saving others around him from villains he unintentionally created.

Because Tony never intended to become a hero, the majority of his character arc revolves around him making mistakes in his goal of saving the world and attempting to atone for those mistakes, ultimately culminating in his ultimate sacrifice to save the universe.

Iron Man

Riri’s origin, on the other hand, presents her as a genuine hero from the beginning. Riri feels obligated to use her remarkable scientific abilities for the greater good even as a young college student. Riri creates a vibranium detector to aid people and subsequently creates her own version of a mechanical suit, becoming a local hero in the process. She is able to perfect her armor with Wakandan technology and vibranium, and once she does, her first big deed is to defend the Wakandan people from the Talokan. If the roots of Iron Man were marked by trauma and remorse, the origins of Ironheart are marked by bravery and compassion, making her MCU future incredibly promising.

 

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