As Marvel Studios faces one of the most turbulent chapters in its cinematic history, one of its most controversial characters may be heading straight into the spotlight. In a new interview with The Direct, Ironheart actress Dominique Thorne strongly suggested that Riri Williams will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and possibly Secret Wars despite growing cross-platform fan rejection of the character and overwhelming negative response to the show’s trailers.
Asked about possible inclusion for Ironheart in the next two Avengers films, Thorne replied with a coy but confident answer.
“Oh, you know, what can I say?” she said. “The odds might be in our favor. Who knows? We’ll see. We’ll see.”
Riri Williams in Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
The phrasing may be deliberately vague, but fans and industry insiders alike are reading between the lines. Rumors of a Young Avengers or Champions-style lineup—including Ironheart, Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, America Chavez, and Cassie Lang—have been circulating for months. Thorne’s comments lend weight to speculation that Marvel Studios is preparing to unite its next-generation heroes in a major team-up for Avengers: Doomsday.
The timing of this tease is no accident. Marvel’s Phase Five is set to conclude with Ironheart, which premieres on Disney+ with its first three episodes on June 24, 2025. The six-episode series follows Riri Williams’ return to Chicago after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she constructs a new suit blending advanced technology with mystic elements learned from the villainous Parker Robbins, aka The Hood (played by Anthony Ramos).
The Hood in Marvel’s Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Thorne elaborated on this tech-magic fusion in the same interview.
“This, absolutely, to me, feels like new territory in terms of how tech and magic can merge, how they can work together, how they might clash,” she said. “It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s dangerous, it’s risky. It’s all the things that you might expect. So, yeah, just another reason to lean in and see where this takes us in the broader context of the MCU.”
But leaning in may be a hard sell for fans. The official Ironheart trailers have been met with steep backlash. As of publication, the most recent trailer sits with more dislikes than likes on YouTube—mirroring the trajectory of other Phase Four and Five titles that leaned heavily into identity-driven storytelling and new character replacements.
The film’s original trailer has crossed half a million dislikes, which more than doubles the number of likes its received.
The dislike ratio for the official Ironheart trailer as of June 12, 2025 – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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Many longtime fans have criticized Marvel for forcing underdeveloped or unpopular characters into the spotlight at the expense of storytelling and legacy heroes.
That hasn’t slowed Thorne’s promotional efforts. In addition to teasing her Avengers future, she encouraged skeptical audiences to hop on board the Ironheart bandwagon.
“I would say get on the bandwagon,” she said. “It’s here. We’re here… I mean, Tony’s on the bandwagon, so you know, what’s the problem? RDJ is here. It’s nice here. It’s cute here. It’s comfy here. It smells good here.”
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008), Marvel Entertainment
That reference to Robert Downey Jr. stems from a prior interview in which Thorne claimed the original Iron Man actor gave his blessing to her taking up the mantle. While no footage has confirmed RDJ’s involvement in Ironheart, his legacy looms large—and not always in favor of Riri Williams.
Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday has already begun filming, with principal photography underway at Pinewood Studios and additional shoots in Bahrain and Windsor Great Park. The film is scheduled to release on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following a year later on December 17, 2027.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Marvel Studios
With Marvel under pressure to revive its fading box office magic with these Avengers films, it’s clear the studio is doubling down on newer faces like Ironheart, regardless of how audiences have responded so far. Whether or not Dominique Thorne’s character can win over fans or becomes yet another cautionary tale in Marvel’s post-Endgame era remains to be seen.
Do you think Ironheart will appear in future Avengers movies? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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