10 Ironheart Cameos That Make Too Much Sense Not To Happen

Ever since we saw Riri’s magic-infused armor in the Ironheart trailer, one name comes to mind as who could introduce her to all of this: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). You don’t play with magic unless the Master of the Mystic Arts has a say in it. And if you do, you’re probably in deep Dark Dimension trouble. Yes, the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Mephisto, or even Wong (Benedict Wong) could be behind the inclusion of magical sigils, but Marvel rarely brings those symbols out without Stephen Strange being close by. Also, Strange has always been an effective (if at times reluctant) guide to the younger generation of superheroes, like Spider-Man, who find themselves dabbling in multiversal forces beyond their comprehension. It’s entirely possible Riri sought him out to help with a problem that science just can’t solve, and the mystical neurosurgeon informed her of the dangers of messing with magic, the same way he did with Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But, you know, kids. Am I right?

How is Riri going to fully become Ironheart without Shuri (Letitia Wright), especially given the MIT student genius so recently helped Shuri become Black Panther? They fought together against Namor’s (Tenoch Huerta) army in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Williams even left behind her exoskeleton prototype like an ex-girlfriend leaving a pair of earrings at her partner’s apartment. You know at some point that’s going to lead them back to each other.

Shuri and Riri are currently the two smartest people in the new era of Marvel superheroes (sorry, Peter Parker), and their chemistry on camera provided some of the best aspects of the second Black Panther film. Also, with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler executive producing Ironheart, Shuri dropping by seems like a no-brainer.

Ok, this one is the least likely to happen because Marvel has yet to bring its animated juggernaut into the live-action universe. But anything is possible in the multiverse, plus the teenage web-slinger and the girl genius have teamed up in the comics—along with Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani)—to form The Champions. What better way to satiate Marvel fans’ hunger for the third Miles Morales Spider-Man movie, and drive home the fact Marvel is in a new era, than pairing these two together? Now, whether they finally make a live-action version of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), or somehow send Riri into his animated Earth-1610, is up to them. But we’ll be happy with (almost) anything. We just want more Miles Morales!

Kamala Khan appearing in Ironheart makes so much sense it could be borderline damaging to the show if it doesn’t happen. Marvel’s attempts at ushering in these new generations of heroes have been either exceptional (Thunderbolts) or maligned (The Marvels), with no middle ground, but ushering them in remains absolutely vital for the longevity of the franchise.

Kamala has already been positioned as the recruiter for the Young Avengers by her propositioning Kate Bishop at the end of The Marvels. If she’s really putting together a team of the strongest younger superheroes, there’s no way Riri Williams isn’t near the top of that list. Surely we have to see Ms. Marvel showing up at some point in the series?

This choice has less to do with plot and everything to do with chemistry. Plainly put, She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) is the funniest character in any Marvel TV show. Can you imagine her fourth-wall-breaking humor injected in the high-stakes drama Ironheart appears to be, with Riri quizzically looking into the camera before asking her who the fuck she’s talking to? Beyond the potential hijinks, it would be great for Marvel to establish some partnerships among the new era of superheroes, the same way the studio did for Hulk and Thor, or frenemies Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man. It’s also always good when a Hulk smashes into any Marvel show, and Riri may need some brute strength that even the fanciest gadgets can’t provide.

They have to do it at some point, right? In nearly every Marvel TV show involving magic since WandaVision, fans have wrongly predicted the appearance of Mephisto, the closest thing Marvel has to Satan. As the master of his own hellish pocket dimension, in the comics Mephisto has trapped the soul of Doctor Doom’s mother and really can’t be killed as long as there’s evil in the world. He’s a few wrong turns down the Dark Dimension from appearing, and Riri playing around with magical sigils could lead her to the devil’s doorstep. Or she may be resorting to magic because the devil is already here.

It’s almost a rite of passage for those who assume the Iron Man mantle to have to deal with The Ten Rings. They kidnapped Tony Stark in the first Iron Man movie, and could have their sights set on his spiritual successor. In the comics, the Ten Rings criminal organization brings the drama to Ironheart’s door, and that’d work great on TV too. Not only does the shadowy cabal do battle with the young superhero, they’re also the group her father faked his death to join. The Ten Rings’ nefarious leader Xu Wenwu may have been killed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but his daughter Xialing took over, and she’s not necessarily the nicest person. In her pursuit to modernize the organization, she could find it’s hard to completely divest from the group’s terroristic past, which could easily put her in confrontation with Riri Williams.

Without revealing any Thunderbolts* spoilers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s de Fontaine does find herself in dire straits, and needs more superhero talent to get her back to relevancy. So, when she eventually hears about a genius kid flying through the sky like Iron Man, with equipment that could take out a small army, I wouldn’t be surprised if that piques the O.X.E. boss’s interest. Riri’s sharp and quick wit contrasted with de Fontaine’s dry yet disrespectful way of speaking is more than enough to warrant a few scenes of verbal jousting. With the prospect of the Young Avengers forming, who’s to say de Fontaine doesn’t try making a superhero group again?

I’ll be honest: I only want the Scarlet Witch to return in Ironheart because I refuse to believe she’s dead. Once the latest Ironheart trailer revealed Riri will be interacting with and somewhat using the same magical sigils Wanda once wielded, it opened the door (or supernatural portal) for the real major magic players of the MCU to step in.

Riri might find herself in the Dark Dimension, where nefarious cosmic entities like Dormammu reside, and where I suspect the Scarlet Witch might have escaped to. Wanda leading a magically inexperienced Riri out of that evil realm (no doubt for her own nefarious goals), or helping her understand how to imbue her ship with the type of magical powers that can take on foes like Mephisto, would make for excellent reasons to have Elizabeth Olsen return to the MCU.

Tony Stark is dead, and unlike in the comics, Riri has never interacted with him or even acknowledged his existence. Even though we see Riri pounding away at metal to shape her suit, mirroring Stark in the first Iron Man movie, a passing of the repulsor baton would not only be appropriate, it would also connect the show to its comic book roots. In the comic, Riri is mentored by a Tony Stark AI program. While Riri will likely have a holographic AI companion based on her deceased best friend, played by Lyric Ross, there are some problems only Stark can solve.

It would be cool if Riri were faced with a seemingly impossible obstacle with one of her suits, a situation that could lead to Gwyneth Paltrow returning to the MCU as Penny Potts, bringing with her the answer. It’s not far-fetched to think Stark has terabytes of instructional videos about how to not only build and maintain those Iron Man armors but also bring some of his wildest ideas to life. Remember, he left a lifelike holographic message to be played after his death in Avengers: Endgame—a proper tearjerker of a scene. Stark wouldn’t be back in the flesh, but he would help usher in his successor while reminding us of the Tony Stark we once knew. You know, before Doctor Doom changes all of that in Avengers: Doomsday.