Marvel Uses Robert Downey Jr. to Sell Ironheart
It looks like Robert Downey Jr.’s new Marvel job description isn’t just playing Doctor Doom or even coming back as Iron Man; it’s being a cheerleader for his replacement. British entertainment magazine Empire recently ran a story about Dominique Thorne – who plays Riri Willaims, alias Ironheart, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and her own upcoming Disney+ show – speaking with Downey soon after her series wrapped production, which was in 2022 (because Marvel has clearly been dreading releasing this thing; maybe they figured that, much like monsters hiding under the bed, if they closed their eyes and ignored it, it would go away). Thorne detailed the meeting for Empire:
“Robert Downey Jr and I spoke just after we wrapped, and he shared some very lovely words about my journey… He told me how excited he was and that he’s rooting for it, too. I literally got two thumbs up. It’s really reassuring to know you’re not embarrassing Iron Man.”
You can see what’s going on here, right? What really happened was probably nothing more than Robert Downey Jr. being the exceedingly nice guy he’s purported to be and encouraging a young actress. But now that Ironheart is about to air, and it’s almost a given that it will be awful and no one will watch it (keep in mind that Marvel has so tarnished its reputation that it couldn’t even convince people to give Daredevil: Born Again a try), Marvel is using this undoubtedly sweet moment to market the show, letting everyone know that Iron Man himself gives Ironheart his seal of approval, so nobody should care what an insult it is to him and the rest of the Marvel Universe. And I don’t blame Downey or Thorne for this; it’s pure Hollywood studio publicity manufacturing, reframing an innocent conversation into an endorsement from one of the biggest movie stars in the world and probably the most popular character in the MCU (with the possible exception of Spider-Man, just because he’s Spider-Man). It’s kind of dirty, but the plus side is that Marvel’s desperation is gratifying considering how bad their product has been lately and how quick they were to blame the fans for their movies and shows failing, which appears to have backfired enough that they’ve stopped doing it (for now).
That last part must irk them because a negative audience response to replacing Tony Stark with Riri Williams would be maybe the easiest one to spin as racism; that they aren’t leading with this means they know it’s a losing strategy. But I don’t think anyone will be on board for Ironheart at all, and especially not as the successor to Iron Man. First of all, the MCU has already positioned Spider-Man as the heir apparent to Iron Man, and it did so much better and more naturally than just having him take over for Tony; it had Spidey learn to grow out of Tony’s shadow and become his own man and his own hero, taking inspiration from his idol and coming to terms with Tony’s flaws so that he can be better – as Tony wanted him to be. He’s not the new Iron Man but the first Spider-Man (in the MCU; you know what I mean). It’s all rooted in character, and it was beautifully set up and paid off over six films. Riri Williams, on the other hand… well, read how Dominique Thorne contrasted her with Tony Stark to Empire:
“She’s dumpster-diving, whereas Tony Stark [was] this bajillionaire… What she’s able to accomplish is remarkable.”
Once again, the only way Marvel knows how to build up its insufferable new heroes is by insulting, diminishing, and tearing down the old ones. Tony Stark didn’t become Iron Man because of his scientific genius, his determination to make the world a better place, his drive to save others when he saw the destruction he’d inadvertently visited upon them; no, he was just a rich asshole who had his success handed to him. This is what Marvel thinks of the hero who built their cinematic universe now (and I have no doubt Thorne is being told to say these things); we know this because She-Hulk said that being a vigilante was for “billionaires, and narcissists, and adult orphans,” and while she didn’t specifically name Tony, it’s not hard to figure out who she meant. We’re supposed to think Tony Stark is trash now, just as we’re supposed to think Captain America was a racist so we can embrace Sam Wilson, and how we’re supposed to believe that Jennifer Walters getting cat-called is worse than Bruce Banner contemplating suicide or losing his friend. Not only do we still love the old heroes, but it’s clear the new ones aren’t worthy of our adoration, respect, or even viewing time, and that’s why Marvel is going to these lengths to sell Ironheart to us. Good luck with that.
Let us know what you think of Marvel using Robert Downey Jr. to sell Ironheart in the comments!
***
Get a META PC today; use code “199” to save on all purchases!
If you want to know what kind of political leanings movies have or just talk about cinema, check out the movie ratings community Criticless.
Get Your Geeks + Gamers merch here!
