Less than a week after showing us the first full trailer, in a surprise one-two punch, Disney+ dropped Eyes of Wakanda several weeks early and gave us a gender-swapped Iron Fist.
The four episode anthology series is the story of the Hatut Zaraze, elite Wakandan warriors who travel the world retrieving stolen artifacts. Set during ancient times, the trailer promises lots of action targeted at older teens.
A screenshot from the trailer to Eyes of Wakanda – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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The trailer also provided us with a glimpse of the female Iron Fist, Jorani (voiced by Jona Xiao).
Animated Anthologies Are In
The concept is similar to Predator: Killer of Killers, which came out June 6th of this year on the also Disney owned Hulu.
Female Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda – Disney+
Both are animated anthologies with historical settings and targeted at an older audience. Killer of Killers raised a few eyebrows with a depiction of a Viking woman taking on the extraterrestrial monster, though overall its reception was positive.
At the time of this writing, Killer of Killers has 44 reviews on Criticless with an average score of 68%.
What’s the Rush?
Eyes of Wakanda was created and produced by Marvel mainstays Matthew Chauncy and Todd Harris. Ryan Coogler, hot on the heels of his successful Sinners, is also attached as an executive producer.
First announced at the end of 2023, the release date bounced around from mid to late August of 2025 before its surprise debut on August 1st.
Female Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda – Disney+
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Releasing it so soon after the Iron Fist reveal in the trailer may work in the streamer’s favor, as it shortened the amount of time for online speculation.
Disney and Marvel may have been trying to avoid the critical frenzy that preceded Coogler’s long-delayed Ironheart, which received harsh criticism before and after its release and is currently sitting at a dismal 10% on Criticless.
So Far, Iron Fist Hasn’t Made an Impact
The original Iron Fist character, created in the 1970s at the dawn of the kung-fu movie craze, was Danny Rand, a boy from New York with a sort of Batman-esque origin story.
Female Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda – Disney+
Netflix took a stab at the character in 2017 with Finn Jones as Rand. It ran for two seasons, and Jones also played Iron Fist in Netflix’s spinoff, The Defenders. In 2019, the Iron Fist comics were retconned to make the first Iron Fist a woman, Fan Fei, so there is precedent.
Looking to the Past to Build a Future… Spinoff?
While Eyes of Wakanda reflects Marvel’s move into the more mystical elements of the MCU and deepening its history, the addition of a female Iron Fist is another reminder that they aren’t finished with what critics have dubbed the M-She-U, a shift toward more female-led franchises.
A screenshot from the trailer to Eyes of Wakanda – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Iron Fist isn’t as popular as Iron Man, so fan backlash may not be as severe as it was when Ironheart was seemingly set up to replace Tony Stark. Jorani is only featured in one episode of the anthology, but if she makes a good first impression, could a spinoff be in her future?
Brand over Characters
The anthology format, spanning many years, means that this is more about developing the brand than individual characters.
A screenshot from the trailer to Eyes of Wakanda – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
It will be interesting to see, especially in comparison to Predator: Killer of Killers, if this is something that’s appealing to audiences, or merely curiosities for the hardcore fans.
How do you feel about Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
