Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, spoke about how Robert Downey Jr. encouraged her while working on her upcoming Disney+ series.
The odd thing is that there appears to be no connection between Riri and her namesake, Iron Man. Despite this, Williams was able to speak with Downey Jr. himself before wrapping up Ironheart. His words of wisdom?
According to Thorne, the former Avenger stated that “Riri Williams is and should always be her own person.”
But what else did the legendary actor tell her?
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Advice from Robert Downey Jr. to Ironheart Actress
Dominique Thorne, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ironheart actress, spoke exclusively to The Direct’s Russ Milheim as part of Puff’s campaign at Children’s Healthcare Atlanta about getting advice from the one and only Robert Downey Jr.
In addition to being told that Riri should always be her own character, Thorne confirmed that “he did” share additional advice—and that the moment “was such a whirlwind one:”
“He did. It was actually a really interesting conversation. And I believe that the timing was particularly significant. This was near the end of the shoot. So, obviously, as you can imagine, it was a whirlwind one.”
The first thing Downey said, according to the actress, was that “he didn’t have any advice for [her]:”
“So, he and I didn’t really have much of a chance to connect prior to, but maybe that worked out pretty well, because the first thing he said in our conversation, or near the end of the conversation, was that he didn’t have any advice for me. And he thought I was fine and that everything would be fine.”
Thorne did admit, however, that the second half of what the Iron Man actor had to say was something she’d “have to keep near and dear to [her] heart:”
“And he talked a lot about… making Riri her own person, and all of the things that I can obviously attribute to her existence, and what it means, what it represents, and what it can offer… Really, it’s just a matter of being authentic, true, and nurturing that. And then, I believe, I must keep the second half close to my heart. He definitely gave me a piece… some words of encouragement… as I continue to navigate all that this life has to offer, which I appreciate. But, yes, it was, and it was a good conversation.”
Iron Man Could Appear in Disney+’s Ironheart?
Despite the fact that Tony Stark and Riri Williams both create advanced suits of armor and have similar names, the two have no connection—but could that be a focus in the future?
That raises another question: will Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man make an appearance in the Iron heart series?
With him being dead and all, it’s unlikely. It’s also difficult to imagine any forced flashbacks. However, there is one way he could appear: as an AI.
In the comics, Riri William’s suit employs an AI modeled after Tony Stark. This could result in audiences seeing more of Iron Man in an interesting way.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now available on Disney+, and Ironheart will be available this fall.
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