Marvel Studios’s Ironheart, will introduce a drag character referred to as “they” that promotes a Robin Hood-style narrative centered on redistributing wealth from the privileged to underprivileged communities.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly it was confirmed that Shea Couleé—winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars—will play “Slug” in Ironheart, a character described as a “fierce hacker” who works with a group of underground activists in Chicago.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Marvel Studios
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“I help a group of urban Robin Hoods to take away from the privileged and help give back to the community,” Couleé told EW. “I’m there to help out on all the missions that go down, trying to shift this power dynamic in this version of Chicago we see in the show.”
Couleé stated that Slug identifies as “they.” The Ironheart character also has a drag backstory, though the show reportedly treats it as part of the past, revealed in flashbacks.
“They’ve kind of left drag… but it’s kind of a past life,” Couleé said. “You see them in drag, but it’s kind of in the context of flashbacks… because they’re trying to be on the low-low.”
Riri Williams in Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Marvel has not released additional character details beyond the Entertainment Weekly feature, but Couleé shared that Slug will play a behind-the-scenes role, offering tech support for the group rather than joining direct combat.
“I’ll drive the getaway car, hang out in the van on my cute little laptop with my fierce nails and help you hack these mainframes,” Couleé said.
This character is an original creation for the Disney+ series and has not appeared in Marvel Comics.
An Ongoing Marvel Trend
Slug’s inclusion continues a clear trend for Marvel Studios since Avengers: Endgame, as the franchise has increasingly emphasized identity-focused storytelling. From gender-swapped and race-swapped legacy characters to Pride-themed promotional content and non-traditional casting choices, Marvel’s post-Endgame phase has leaned heavily into identity narratives.
Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in Marvel Television’s AGATHA ALL ALONG, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 MARVEL.
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Projects like Agatha All Along, Ms. Marvel, Eternals, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law all introduced themes of cultural representation, PRIDE, intersectionality, and modern activist language. Disney+ series such as Loki confirmed the titular character as fluid, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a teenage heroine with two moms and a rainbow pin.
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo by Jay Maidment. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
While these efforts have earned praise in some media circles, they have coincided with a sharp drop in Marvel’s overall box office and viewership numbers.
- The Marvels earned just $206 million worldwide, the lowest box office gross in MCU history.
- Eternals was critically divisive and fell short of expectations with $402 million.
- Streaming shows like Echo and Ms. Marvel debuted to record-low viewer numbers, according to Nielsen data.
Wealth Redistribution and the Push Toward Political Messaging
Shea Couleé’s description of Slug’s mission—“taking from the privileged and helping give back”—echoes previous MCU attempts to integrate political messaging directly into its dialogue and themes.
In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, actor Michael Douglas’s character Hank Pym directly endorses socialism, saying, “I know Socialism is a charged word. But we could learn a lot from (the ants).” The line sparked criticism for injecting modern political ideology into a franchise once known for escapist action and fantasy.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2022 MARVEL.
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Similarly, in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the central conflict revolved around the idea that the world was better off during the “blip” when half the population disappeared through repeated and in no way subtle nods to global redistribution and anti-border messaging.
Marvel’s Ironheart now appears set to continue that ideological trajectory, with Slug’s hacker character aiding a collective effort to shift Chicago’s “power dynamic” through tech and subversion.
What to Expect
Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, the young inventor introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The series follows her return to Chicago, where she attends MIT and builds her own Iron Man-style suit while confronting new local threats. Anthony Ramos also stars as Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood.
The Hood in Marvel’s Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
The show is executive produced by Ryan Coogler and is set to premiere June 24, 2025, on Disney+.
Shea Couleé’s inclusion as Slug adds another layer to the show’s cultural profile. Whether fans embrace this latest evolution or react against the continued shift remains to be seen.
How do you feel about Marvel casting the winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars in Ironheart in this storyline? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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As if I needed another reason not to watch this.
Bless their hearts (their = the writers, directors, and producers, not “slug” or whatever it calls itself)! They are so precious.
I can’t skip this show hard enough.
Gross commie nonsense.
They’ll never learn. I just hope their money finally runs out soon and we get good movies and games again without this brainrot in them all the time.
This apparent obsession with casting drag queens in what should be considered children’s programming is ridiculous– what parents want their kids watching a character like this, and then explaining why he refers to himself as plural?
Hopefully the show gets canceled after one season…