Dominique Thorne Talks Riri's Exploration of Tech & Magic & More

Dominique Thorne is back as Riri Williams in Marvel Television’s upcoming and long-awaited Disney+ series Ironheart. 

Fans have been patiently awaiting the return of Riri Williams after meeting the Marvel Studios version of the character, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato, in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

In the Ironheart series, from head writer Chinaka Hodge and executive producer Ryan Coogler, we catch up with Williams fresh off her experience in the Black Panther sequel, which saw her as the cause of a small war between Wakanda and the underwater kingdom of Talokan. 

Even with her superb intelligence, Williams is struggling to build something iconic to fulfill her ambitions of surpassing Tony Stark, as she realizes her resources are limited, unlike her counterpart, who is a billionaire.

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After an incident at M.I.T., Williams returns home to Chicago to continue building on her legacy, but realizes she’s gonna need some cash, real fast, and that’s where Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos) aka The Hood comes in, a charming, yet mysterious figure who offers to help Riri through some very unconvential means, if she helps him and his crew out. 

Now, when we say unconventional, we mean magic, which is not new to the MCU, thanks to characters like Thor, Doctor Strange, and others. But it will be the first time Riri Williams will have to deal with it. 

Tech vs Magic Is A New Exploration For Riri Williams

Ahead of the show’s release, CassiusLife’s Bernard “Beanz” Smalls spoke with Thorne about her tech-focused character having to now deal with The Hood and his penchant for magic use. 

Thorne tells CassiusLife that Ironheart’s tackling of tech and magic is a new experience for Riri.

“I will say that that conversation between tech and magic is yet another area of exploration for Riri that she didn’t know she would have to consider, for sure,” Thorne begins. “Just figuring out what that even means, if she’s going to buy into it, does she even believe in that as someone who is so tech-focused and tech-heavy? So I think we’re still waiting to see if she even really cares about it, for real.”

We also asked Thorne about working alongside Anthony Ramos. She described the In The Heights star as “a trip,” and “a gift,” while noting he is “hilarious. She added that his being the villain “made it easier to be a superhero.”

Thorne On What Regular Aspects of Riri She Is Excited For Audiences To See

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever laid the groundwork for the MCU’s Riri Williams by showcasing her genius and linking her to another like-minded individual in Shuri (Letitia Wright).

In Ironheart, we get to see Riri in a more regular setting, being in Chicago rather than amid a battle between two nations.

“In Wakanda Forever we’re meeting her in the midst of her routine as a college student and then as we see her get drafted into this war, really, that she is definitely at the center of, but for sure had no idea that that world, that these worlds even existed in the way that they do. And so her mind has been opened and her worldview expanded,” said Thorne.

“But for sure, without a doubt, before the lessons that she learned from that time could really sink in she was in fight-or-flight. She was trying to quite literally survive these people that wanted to kill her. So I think that brings out a much different side. That brings out a lot more instinctual self-preservationist type ideals, which we saw from Riri.”

She continues, “This time around she’s going back home where for all intents and purposes, she knows she’s safe and does not have to worry about everything that she survived. And as someone who came out on the other side, she’s also going back with a little bit of confidence in the fact that, “Oh, I am so much more capable than I was even considering. What does that mean for me now?” And so I think as we get to see her answer those questions, we’re getting to see the more subtle parts of her personality come out and also the things that are more underlying that led to such a big blowout response in Wakanda Forever.”

Ironheart’s three-episode premiere arrives on Disney+ on June 24.

‘Ironheart’ Exclusive: Dominique Thorne Talks Riri’s Exploration of Tech & Magic & More  was originally published on cassiuslife.com