After several years in development, theIronheartMarvel Cinematic Universe series is finally out, but the delays to the show’s release had some unfortunate ripple effects, as explained by the author of a canceledIronheartminiseries that was meant to run alongside the debut of the live-action series in 2023.
As reported by BleedingCool.com,Invincible Ironheart, written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Jim Towe, would have spanned four issues, had it been released two years ago, which was Marvel’s original plan.
Unfortunately, the series never materialized, robbing fans of thenext-gen Iron Manof what sounds like an exciting arc.
Marvel Was Set To Release An Ironheart Solo Comic In 2023, But Delays To The MCU Show Scrapped It
Early Art For The Series By Jim Towe
Currently in the midst of its six-episode run, the MCU’sIronheartbegan development in 2021, and was initially slated to come out in 2023. Release dates for big-budget TV and film productions change all the time, but when the production is part of a larger multimedia empire, delays like this consequently weigh on other projects, and other creators.
This reminder of the “the Ironheart miniseries that never was”…has caused fans to question whether the hero’s momentum has stalled.
That is what happened toMarvel’sIronheartminiseries, which was also intended for 2023;Marvel went as far as to solicit the debut issue ofRiri Williams, the Invincible Ironheart, which read like this:
Riri Williams, A.K.A. Ironheart, super-genius and Tony Stark’s young protege is back! How does this teenage hero manage a super hero work-life balance? And will the newly obtained Mandarin’s Rings prove to be more of a burden than a gift?
Indeed, the series would have also featured Riri wielding theTen Rings from Shang-Chi lore, potentially setting this up to occur in the MCU as well.
While Ironheart has appeared in Marvel Comics stories over the past several years, she has not taken the front-and-center role many fans expected from the young MCU protagonist. This reminder of the “the Ironheart miniseries that never was” as Stephanie Phillips called it in a social media post, has caused fans to question whether the hero’s momentum has stalled.
Ironheart’s MCU Future Is Uncertain, But Marvel Shouldn’t Want To Give Her A Solo Book
The Character Deserves Her Chance To Take The Spotlight
Usually, Marvel tries to develop a strong degree of synergy between its slate of MCU titles and what is going on in the comics, and rightfully so. Which has made it surprising to many readers thatIronhearthasn’t had a more prominent role in Marvel Comics' publishing plans over the past several years.
Riri Williams hasn’t been completely sidelined, but she hasn’t been given a starring role complimentary to her MCU prominence either. There could be any number of reasons factoring into this, and obviously, anIronheartsolo miniseries was the plan at Marvel before it was canceled. Nevertheless, it has fans wondering, now, what the future holds for the character.
It would seem like a natural next step for the character to appear in the upcomingAvengersfilms, but it is currently unknown if she is expected to join the cast. In the meantime,fans of the character can only hope Ironheart’s MCU series performs well, warranting a second season, and that Marvel commits to anIronheartsolo series before that.
