“Ironheart” Dives Deep: Behind the Scenes of Marvel’s Groundbreaking Disney+ Series

With Ironheart set to make its mark on Disney+, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are preparing to get to know Riri Williams like never before. While we were first introduced to the genius inventor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the upcoming limited series offers an opportunity to dive much deeper — and according to the creative team, that’s where the real magic begins.

“Man, it’s really awesome," says Sev Ohanian, one of the show’s executive producers. “With the movies, you spend two hours with a character. Now we get six episodes — six hours or whatever it is — to really see what makes her tick." That extended runtime means more than just longer screen time. It’s a chance to explore Riri’s relationships, her backstory, and what it really means to be a superhero — especially one who’s not a god, a billionaire, or enhanced with super-soldier serum.

At the heart of Ironheart is the complex dynamic between Riri (Dominique Thorne) and those around her — especially Natalie, her AI companion and best friend portrayed by Wendell & Wild’s Lyric Ross. “I just love that dynamic that Dominique and Lyric bring to the screen," Ohanian shares. The character is critical because Natalie is more than just an artificial intelligence assistant. She is, in fact, based on Riri’s childhood best friend who tragically died — and her presence lives on through an advanced AI that Riri creates.

Marvel executive Zoie Nagelhout emphasizes another key relationship in the show — one with a setting that hasn’t yet had its moment in the MCU spotlight: Chicago. “It’s epic," she says, describing what it meant to bring Marvel to the Windy City. “It feels like we’ve tread as much ground as you can tread in the MCU. So to go somewhere so iconic, with so much history and culture — and to explore it authentically — was a gift."

Nagelhout notes that much of the cast and crew have deep roots in Chicago, and the production’s time filming on location brought real energy to the show. “You can’t fake Chicago," she adds. “We wanted to do it right, do it justice."

Beyond flashy suits and thrilling action, Ironheart grapples with big questions: Who gets to be a hero? What responsibilities come with power? And how do you forge your own identity in a world filled with legendary figures like Iron Man?

“One of the goals of the show," Ohanian explains, “was to make sure we didn’t just repeat what Tony Stark or Peter Parker had done. We wanted to take Riri’s journey in an unexpected direction. And Kevin [Feige] was always encouraging us to ask, ‘Where is the audience not expecting us to go?’"

Where Ironheart goes is a path filled with vulnerability, empowerment, and heart — and we at Laughing Place can’t wait to see what’s next for Riri Williams. Ironheart debuts June 24 with the first three episodes on Disney+. The final three episodes will debut July 1. Go deeper behind the scenes in our video interview with executive producers Sev Ohanian and Zoie Nagelhout.