The Ironheart series has been the victim of delays, but this could actually be a good thing for the MCU’s official Iron Man replacement. Riri Williams debuted in the MCU in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Having to leave the suit she uses in the film behind in Wakanda, Riri’s solo series is set to pick up with her crafting a new suit. Not much is known about Riri’s MCU origins besides the fact that she is an extremely gifted teenager and Iron Man’s in-universe replacement, so the wait for her solo series has been painfully long.

Originally slated for a late 2023 release, Ironheart has been delayed with no current confirmed release date. Considering that the series finished filming in 2022, it raises the question as to what is going on behind the scenes. Ironheart could very well be set back to potentially 2025, which would actually make sense in the larger MCU timeline. The show was always set to premiere after Echo, and with Echo premiering in 2024, a 2025 release for Ironheart would fit into Marvel Studios’ current plan for television.

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Ironheart’s Delay Means It Can Benefit From Marvel’s TV Overhaul

Marvel Studios announced earlier in the year that they would be undergoing an overhaul in how the studio approached television production. Though the MCU Disney+ releases started out strong with WandaVision, public reception of the shows has since gone downhill. The negative reception came to a head with the back-to-back releases of She-Hulk and Secret Invasion, making the studio rethink how to proceed with their future shows. The studio has since committed to having a dedicated television team working on scripts, as well as adapting a multi-season format.

Ironheart finished filming way before Marvel’s TV overhaul, so the delay in its release date could be because production wants to adhere to the new standards. Whether this means reshoots or just a longer time working on the show’s VFX, Ironheart can benefit from some delay if it means that the quality of the show will be better. There are high expectations for Riri following her appearance in Wakanda Forever, and Marvel Studios definitely wants to do her solo debut justice, so the delays could help ensure that Riri makes a positive impression on audiences.

Ironheart Needs To Carry On Iron Man’s Legacy In The MCU

One blatant drawback of Ironheart’s presumed delay to 2025 is that it will be three years since Riri’s MCU debut, which is a considerably long time for a character not to be on the audience’s screens. Especially since Riri is being positioned to be Iron Man’s official MCU replacement, a 2025 premiere would come six years after Tony Stark’s death. It is a long gap, but it just means that Marvel Studios will have to make the most of the delays to ensure that Ironheart is properly carrying on Iron Man’s legacy.

Plenty of MCU projects have been shifted around, with several receiving multiple delays in premiere dates. Ironheart is one of the studio’s projects that is already done filming, yet the show has been delayed to presumably 2025. With the extra time, Marvel Studios can ensure that Ironheart adheres to their newly implemented television standards in hopes of garnering a positive reception from fans. Considering that Riri will be Iron Man’s official MCU replacement, it’s incredibly important that Marvel gets Ironheart right for the sake of Riri’s character and Tony’s legacy.