What Marvel films and shows do you need to watch before ‘Ironheart’?

Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to a close with the Disney+ series Ironheart.

Created by Chinaka Hodge, the series picks up after events in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as genius inventor Riri Williams aka Ironheart returns to her hometown of Chicago and encounters the charming yet mysterious Parker Robbins aka The Hood.

• READ MORE: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ review: a magical memorial to Chadwick Boseman

Dominique Thorne returns in the titular role, alongside Anthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, Lyric Ross, Matthew Elam, Anji White and Manny Montana.

The first three episodes of the series debut on June 25, with the remaining three episodes set to arrive on July 2, 2025.

What Marvel films should you watch before Ironheart?

Black Panther

Riri Williams doesn’t appear in the original Black Panther but it might be a worthwhile watch to prepare you for the show’s most important homework, its sequel. If anything, it’s an excuse to watch Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira tear up the screen.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The sequel might not hit the original’s heights but this represents Dominique Thorne’s debut as Ironheart in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film’s events directly lead into her standalone series, so this is the most crucial one to watch.

Iron Man trilogy

If you’re unfamiliar with Riri Williams, the character is basically an iteration on Tony Stark’s Iron Man. Like that hero, she uses her genius to create a suit of armour which gives her the Ironheart moniker. As such, for a refresh on the technology at play, give all three Iron Man films (especially Iron Man 3) a shot.

Doctor Strange

This is a tangential connection but the Ironheart series promises to “pit technology against magic” with the presence of The Hood, so you might be inclined to return to the Sorcerer Supreme, where the mystical aspect of the MCU largely took flight.

What Marvel TV shows should you watch beforehand?

What If?

There aren’t any essential TV shows which connect to Ironheart, but Dominique Thorne did play the character in an episode of Marvel’s alternate reality series. In season three episode five, Riri Williams embarks on a deadly mission to take down Quentin Beck aka Mysterio.

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