'Ironheart' producer gets up close and personal about giving Riri 'her own series'

RiRi was first introduced in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ryan Coogler, Ironheart executive produce has just admitted he wasn’t ready to give Riri her own series, the idea popped up when producers Brad Winderbaum and Zoie Nagelhout approached him during the making of Wakanda Forever.

At the premier of the Disney+ series, Coogler told Deadline, “No, no, I like to take things one step at a time.”

“It was obviously complicated, wanting to make sure that we were leaving enough room while establishing who Riri was, but it’s been so exciting.”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is now exploring the combination of both 'magic' and 'technology' and Coogler added, "it’s so crazy to be putting this movie out now, at the time where AI is on the front of everybody’s mind, technological ethics are on the front of everybody’s mind.”

He further added, “but also — we didn’t know it was going to be Dr. Doom and the Avengers when we first started, but he’s a guy in publishing who’s most famous for fusing technology and magic, so it’s a great sample of things that are to come in probably what’s going to be the biggest movie in Marvel history.”

Ironheart released on June 24, 2025. According to Dominique Thorne, the series showcase 'magic' vs 'science' in Riri’s personal life. 

She also spoke out at the premier admitting that fans can expect a, “more mystical side of things." 

Because "we definitely see her family, her mother try to kind of welcome her into that in a very rudimentary way and also really spiritual way that she is not at all interested in, so I think it’s a hilarious journey and also a really tempting journey that we see her go on once she realizes the full extent and capability of the magic side of the world.”