credit: Marvel Comics
Ironheart isn’t exactly a brand new character since she was created in 2016 and has been embraced since that time. But there’s a trick to this character, and it’s the fact that Riri is said to be on the same level of intelligence as Tony Stark, perhaps even past what he can accomplish. A lot of fans have had an issue with this since one thing that people can’t tend to stand is when a character is brought in and given every advantage without being made to work for it. The fact is that according to her story, Riri has had hardships in her life, but usually not by her own making. Another fact is that she needed Tony Stark’s tech to get herself started, no matter that she’s a super genius. In other words, she’s taken something that was engineered by someone else and made it her own in an attempt to do something that people would notice, for personal reasons or not. In this manner, it’s still easy to be impressed by her ingenuity, but it’s important to remember that she’s NOT Iron Man and shouldn’t be considered as a replacement.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why Ironheart should never replace Iron Man.
5. There is only one Iron Man.
To be realistic, it doesn’t feel as though she was ever meant to replace Iron Man since this isn’t just a bad idea for a couple of reasons, but it’s a rather ridiculous idea as well since it means that the plan would have been to cut Iron Man’s name out of the comics at one point and replace it. But it should easily be noted that such a thing wouldn’t be possible in the least since the fans are going to remember and keep reminding each other and themselves just who was the first to don the suit and who will be the most influential moving forward. Even dead, Tony Stark is still one of the most loved characters in Marvel.
4. Replacing a hero is rarely a good idea.
It’s certainly been tried in the past, even if people choose not to remember, but replacing a hero, or trying to cut them out, is a bad idea since, like many other practices, it tends to dig away at the fan base little by little as people start to lose faith in those who are trying to feed them something other than what they want when it comes to entertainment. Riri isn’t a replacement, but it does feel as though she was foisted upon a fanbase that isn’t quite as forgiving unless the hero in question has earned their stripes, so to speak, and is able to show that they are worth following. Riri isn’t the worst character to ever come along, but it feels as though she still has a bit of work to do when proving that she’s capable of being a fan favorite.
credit: Marvel Comics
3. This character has been around for a while, but she still needs time to develop.
Six years is long enough to establish a character and make them likable, and it does appear that Riri has become someone that people are willing to follow and enjoy. But there are doubters out there that are waiting to see what kind of representation she gets on the big screen since this is where her legend will really grow. Despite being popular in the comics, her on-screen presence is going to be where she’s really made when it comes to the fans. Tony Stark, for all his issues and development in the comics, didn’t really start gaining the type of notoriety he’s had for years until Robert Downey Jr. came along and nailed the character without fail.
2. Riri Williams has yet to gain the same experiences as Tony Stark.
Keep in mind everything that Tony Stark has done and been through, and then think about how little Riri has really accomplished in comparison. She might be a fun and popular character, but at the same time, she hasn’t done nearly as much as Tony has from his first appearance in the comics until his death in the MCU. While the comic book version is still going, one can’t help but think that it undercuts the idea of his sacrifice in the movies, no matter if the multiverse is now a thing and multiple Tonys can exist. Riri still has a long way to go when it comes to matching his experience.
credit: Marvel Comics
1. Riri needs to be her own character.
This, more than anything, is why even comparing Riri to Tony shouldn’t be on the minds of the fans. Yes, she did take an older suit, and she did engineer it in a way that made sense for her. But despite taking Tony’s tech, she’s become her own character and is well on her way to being a legend. As of now, though, she has a long time ahead of her to become as popular as Iron Man.