MCU's Ironheart Star Dominique Thorne Reveals How She Got Marvel Role

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has played host to a lot of interesting heroes and villains ever since it was launched back in 2008, and it's only a matter of time before the roster gets even bigger in the franchise's ambitious Phase 4 slate.

During Disney Investor Day, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige laid out the MCU's future by officially announcing new projects that will introduce fresh characters into the mix, and one of those is Riri Williams a.k.a. Ironheart. The young tech-genius is a popular character in Marvel Comics, and fans were ecstatic when it was revealed that the character will be adapted in live-action through the casting of Dominique Thorne. 

Thorne's involvement was one of the surprising reveals during the virtual event, and the casting earned positive reception on social media. Now, the up-and-coming actress has shared an inside look at how she landed the heroic role. 

DOMINIQUE THORN'S ANTICIPATED MCU DEBUT 

While speaking with Black Film and TV, Ironheart star Dominique Thorn opened up about the upcoming MCU Disney+ series and the process of landing the iconic role from Marvel Studios. 

When asked if she was always a Marvel fan, the young actress admitted from the get-go by saying “absolutely,” while also revealing that the studio “approached” her for the role:

“Absolutely. I think my mother might disown me if I didn't. It's very much a Marvel household. I did know about Ironheart before I was approached with the role. So it was an awe-inspiring moment to think that I would be chosen to portray this woman and to bring her to the screen in this way. So yeah.”

When it was pointed out that Marvel fans expect her to know everything about the character of Ironheart, Thorne pointed out that she's “definitely run through as many of the comics as [she] can,” while also promising that she is willing to “do more” to be familiar with the character: 

“I would expect nothing less. I'm looking forward to really doing the deep dive. I've definitely run through as many of the comics as I can. I'm so ready to do more.” 

Dominique Thorne, an American actress, with Trini roots, is set to star as Riri Williams, a teenage genius who becomes a superhero in the upcoming Disney Plus/Marvel’s series Ironheart. Thorne chats with writer Narissa Fraser with her in this week's Sunday Newsday. pic.twitter.com/GJKI7BbWNR

— T&T Newsday (@Newsday_TT) December 26, 2020

 

COULD WE SEE IRONHEART BEFORE HER DISNEY+ DEBUT?

Unlike Iman Vellani's casting as Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel, it's fascinating to find out that Marvel Studios was the one who reached out to Thorne for playing the MCU's Ironheart. This could potentially hint that the studio already pinpointed Thorne from the start, meaning that plans were already in place for both the actress and the character. 

This is a prime example of the years of planning from Marvel. Given that this has been an already proven formula, it's no surprise that they have taken this approach. Thorne's dedication is also good to see, and it will dial up more hype for her eventual MCU debut down the line. 

As expected, plot details of Ironheart are still being kept under wraps, but the announcement provided a major clue by mentioning the fact that Williams will be the “creator of the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man.” This raised the question of how exactly a teenager was able to build a state-of-the-art piece of weaponry, and it will be interesting to find out if the character will be referenced way before her arrival on the MCU series. 

By connecting the dots, it's possible that Williams will pop up in an upcoming project to establish the character right away, and this should explain why the actress was initially involved this early. From Armor Wars to Secret Invasion, there are a plethora of projects that the young hero can appear in. 

Overall, with Thorne leading the way, Ironheart promises to deliver an exciting MCU story.