Ironheart is the perfect opportunity to bring Robert Downey Jr. back as Tony Stark, but casting details for the show indicate he won’t return. Audiences only saw Iron Man die in Avengers: Endgame a few years ago, but it didn’t take long for theories to pop up suggesting different ways he could return. The announcement of Ironheart in late 2020 fueled that possibility, as Tony Stark plays a key role in Riri Williams’ superhero story. However, it continues to look unlikely that the Disney+ show will include Robert Downey Jr.

The biggest theory about Downey’s Iron Man return in Ironheart came as the result of Tony Stark becoming Riri’s A.I. in the comics. The artificial version of Stark was Riri’s equivalent of JARVIS early on, although it also included a holographic component. Since Avengers: Endgame used a hologram Tony for his eulogy, it seemed the Marvel Cinematic Universe already was laying the groundwork for this possibility. Importantly, this could bring Downey back to the MCU without undoing Iron Man’s death. Despite Ironheart and the A.I. Tony storyline potentially serving as the perfect opportunity for Downey to return, the show has now cast This Is Us actress Lyric Ross as Riri’s best friend. It might not seem like the two roles would have anything to do with each other at first, but it does point to Ironheart not utilizing A.I. Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr.’s talents.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Although Lyric Ross’ role wasn’t named when it was announced, the description of her playing Riri Williams’ best friend points to her being Natalie Washington. Natalie was Riri’s best friend from the ages of 10-13 until she tragically died as the victim of a drive-by shooting. While Ironheart could change the timing of Natalie’s death to make it work better for its 18 year old actress, casting Lyric Ross also points to the show using her as Riri’s A.I. instead of Tony Stark. This happened in the comics as her A.I. transformed itself into an older version of Natalie. The A.I. was able to scan Riri’s memories and create a digital version of what Natalie would look and sound like as a young adult. NATALIE (Neuro-Autonomous Technical Assistant & Laboratory Intelligence Entity) then became Riri’s primary A.I. as a result.

The development of NATALIE only happened in the comics after Riri Williams had Tony Stark as an A.I. However, Marvel casting Lyric Ross as Natalie right away indicates that Ironheart could skip the A.I. Stark storyline entirely. Lyric Ross only became the third cast member for the MCU Disney+ show when she was announced, joining Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams and Anthony Ramos as the main villain. While Marvel could keep Natalie alive longer and delay her death, the decision to already cast an “older” Natalie points to them already thinking about her being Riri’s A.I. instead of Tony Stark.

Ironheart potentially bypassing the opportunity to use Robert Downey Jr. again is probably the best movie too. It is still too soon for the MCU to bring him back in some form, especially since the franchise is working to develop an identity beyond Iron Man and Steve Rogers’ Captain America. Ironheart will still be closely tied to the Iron Man mythology without Downey appearing, and going with Natalie as Riri’s A.I. is more personal for her.

Key Release Dates
See also  Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Cast Guide: All New & Returning Characters
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
Severance Pilot Script Reveals The Real Reason For The Room Of Baby Goats

About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5628 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

See also  The 10 Best Warrior Characters, Ranked

More From Cooper Hood