A recent announcement has confirmed that Dominique Thorne will be making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Riri Williams/Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her appearance in the film makes sense considering her advanced intelligence will be coupled with the scientific achievements of Wakanda. However, it also sets the character up for her reappearance in her Disney+ series. But one aspect that hasn’t been mentioned enough is the possibility of her joining forces with Shuri to create a new iteration of the Science Bros, the Science Sisters.
In the original Avengers film, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner form a quick bond over their shared love and knowledge of the sciences. As a result, fans dubbed the pairing the Science Bros. Later movies would further capitalize on this with Stark and Banner teaming up to innovate technology with the development of the Hulkbuster armor and the rogue AI Ultron. However, with Robert Downy Jr.’s tenure as Iron Man concluded, that only leaves one Science Bro for Phase 4. Moreover, the scientific realm of the MCU looks to remain untouched until Riri Williams joins the fold.
In the comics, Riri is a highly intelligent teenager who was so bored at college she decided to make her own Iron Man armor instead. This creation put her on the radar of Tony Stark, and following his “death” during the Civil War II event, she took his place as Ironheart. She is very much like the MCU version of Shuri in that she is very clever and forward-thinking, but her cockiness can sometimes get the best of her.
When it comes to other science and technology-based characters in the MCU, the buck really stops at Tony and Bruce. But with the characters stepping out of the spotlight and Wakanda opening its borders to the masses, Shuri and Riri are logical picks to succeed them. Because Riri is young, she still has much to learn about the world and being a superhero. The same can be said for Shuri, who spends so much time in the lab; she never really takes the time to fully understand the world around her. So in that sense, the two complement each other by filling in one another’s strengths and weaknesses.
Another factor that pulls the two heroes together is the need for science in the MCU. When Marvel’s characters were first introduced decades ago, science acted as the backbone of many of their origins, including the Fantastic Four and, of course, Iron Man. However, with the recent Phase 4 MCU films and series focusing more on magic and espionage, it’s time the franchise brings science back into the forefront. And thanks to Wakanda being officially part of the universe, the Science Sisters will have even more advanced tech to create new items like armor, gadgets, and weapons that are years ahead of what Stark and Banner came up with.
However, while the Science Sisters seem like a perfect addition to the MCU, there’s an issue in the form of Shuri actor Letitia Wright, who’s found herself embroiled in controversy after sharing an anti-vax video with transphobic comments on her now-deleted Twitter account. Naturally, fans have since cooled on their support for Wright playing a more central role in the MCU, which creates even more conflict given that the passing of Chadwick Boseman could mean Shuri may take up the mantle of Black Panther in the MCU going forward. There is still much to clarify before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives, but with Ironheart joining Shuri on the big screen, this could be the start of a powerful friendship.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in theaters on July 8, 2022, with Ironheart premiering on Disney+ sometime after.
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