As a lifelong Marvel fan and someone who genuinely admired the growth and sacrifice of Tony Stark, watching Ironheart feels like being spat on for caring.
This series doesn't just fall short - it disrespects the legacy of Iron Man to artificially inflate a character who hasn't earned the suit, the tech, or the respect. Instead of honoring Tony Stark - the genius, billionaire, philanthropist who sacrificed everything - the show takes every opportunity to undermine his legacy. There's a line where Riri says Tony was "nothing without his money."
Excuse me?
Tony built the Mark 1 in a cave, while dying, with scraps.
He survived PTSD, took responsibility for his past sins, created new elements, mentored Spider-Man like a father, and saved the entire universe in Endgame. He was more than his money - he was his mind, his heart, and his growth.
This show acts like we forgot that. But we didn't.
Instead of showing Riri Williams learning from Tony's legacy, or striving to live up to it, they turned her into a smug, ungrateful replacement. A character who walks in, acts like she knows better, and immediately claims the spotlight with no build-up. That's not inspiring. That's forced.
You want strong new heroes? Great - earn it.
Let Riri grow, make mistakes, struggle, and rise. Let her respect the ones who came before her. That's called storytelling.
But this? This was lazy writing, weak character development, and an insult to everything the MCU built over 10+ years.
You can't just write off legends to make room for new ones. That's how you lose your audience.
This wasn't a tribute to Iron Man. It was a hit job.
And for that, I'm out.
1 star. And that's generous.
