Ironheartstands out as a key Marvel Comics character and a unique addition to the expanding MCU, taking the legacy of theBlack Pantherseries in a fresh direction. In adapting stories, particularly within the MCU, it’s usual to adjust origins, and anIronheartstar has revealed some major revisions to their character’s backstory in the upcoming Disney+ series.
Portrayed by the vibrant Dominique Thorne,Ironheart(Riri Williams) enters the MCU with a fresh take distinct from her comic book origins. Due to the franchise’s ongoing developments, Ryan Coogler and his team had toadapt this version ofIronheartto fit the existing MCU, leading to significant changes in her backstory. Marvel Studios is renowned for its penchant for exploring fresh settings, and the upcomingIronheartseries is set to shift the action from New York to Chicago, where the city itself plays a crucial role in the storyline, as teased by the series stars.
During their visit toEntertainment Weekly’s D23 2024video suite, the cast of theIronheartseries shared insights into the Marvel show, emphasizing Chicago’s significant role in its narrative. Anthony Ramos, known for his roles inTransformers: Rise of the BeastsandHamilton,who portrays Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood, inIronheart, mentioned that Marvel Studios reimagined his character’s origins from the comics. Instead of being a New Yorker, The Hood is now a native of Chicago, making the city a pivotal element in the series and significantly altering the villain’s backstory.“Parker Robbins in the comics is from New York, but being able to flip his story and making him from Chicago, we made him from Humboldt Park, which has, obviously, a large Puerto Rican population,“Ramos says.“We created this whole backstory with his mom being from the Young Lords and raising him that way.”He continues, “Chicago plays a huge part in the identity of all of our characters and the identity of this show, so I’m really excited for people to experience that.It was just a gift to be able to shoot there. It’s an amazing city, one of the greatest cities in the world.”
The Hood (Parker Robbins) is a Marvel Comics supervillain who first appeared in his own limited series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell. Debuting inHood #1in July 2002, Robbins started as a petty criminal before encountering and defeating a Nisanti demon, from which he stole a cloak and boots, granting him powers like invisibility and levitation.As “The Hood,” Robbinsbecame a notorious figure and rose to prominence as the kingpin in New York City’s criminal underworld. In the upcomingIronheartseries, Robbins initially allies withIronheart/Riri Williams, but as the story progresses, he becomes her adversary. The series is expected to explore the clash between science and magic, with Riri eventually facing off against The Hood, who wields a magical hood that allows him to harness dark arts. While the comics reveal that Robbins unknowingly received his hood from the demon Dormammu, the MCU adaptation is rumored to involveMephisto, possibly portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, as the source of The Hood’s powers.
Set afterthe events of 2022’sBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever,Ironheartcenters on Riri Williams, a young, brilliant inventor eager to leave her mark on the world. Returning to her studies at MIT after the tragic death of Queen Ramonda, Riri leaves her suit behind but soon becomes entangled with Anthony Ramos’ enigmatic yet charismatic Parker Robbins (The Hood). The highly anticipated series is expected to explore the contrast between technology and magic, with Ironheart embodying the former and The Hood the latter. Unlike New York, a familiar setting in the MCU, Chicago offers a fresh backdrop, with star Dominique Thorne expressing enthusiasm about bringing the Marvel universe to the city. Though Ironheart is the central figure of the Disney+ series, Ramos confirms that Chicago itself plays a significant role, a detail sure to delight Marvel fans from the Windy City.
