Disney+ Ironheart (Marvel Cinematic Universe) (1 Viewer)

[Jake Lipson]

From Disney+ social media:



I didn't realize the back half of the season would drop simultaneously as well. So we're getting the entire season over two weeks.

This feels even more like a dump job than it did before.

 

[TravisR]

From Disney+ social media:

View attachment 254735

I didn't realize the back half of the season would drop simultaneously as well. So we're getting the entire season over two weeks.

This feels even more like a dump job than it did before.

Maybe "groups of three episodes" is how Disney+ is going to release shows now? That's how they released the second season of Andor. I will say that having a mere two weeks of episodes (at least Andor had four weeks) and with the finale being put out around the July 4th holiday when people are way more interested in the beach, barbecuing or seeing Superman does not seem like a sign of great faith on Disney's part.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Maybe "groups of three episodes" is how Disney+ is going to release shows now?

I hope not.

I haven't watched Andor so can't speak to it. But they gave a lot more promotion to that show than Ironheart has received. The lack of promotion coupled with the release strategy suggests it's a burnoff.

 

[Sam Favate]

They are burning it off. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a worthwhile show, but it no longer fits the direction they’ve decided to go in for their shows. They’ve also been sitting on it for a while, so they probably just want to put it behind them.

 

[TravisR]

I hope not.

I haven't watched Andor so can't speak to it.

I'm not a fan of more than one episode a week either. However, Andor was the exception to the rule for me because every three episodes of that series were written as one tale/year in the characters' lives so putting up the three episodes each week worked great.

 

[Jake Lipson]

every three episodes of that series were written as one tale/year in the characters' lives

I would guess that this is exactly why they went with this release pattern for that show. It seems like it was designed for that release structure.

It does not appear that Ironheart was designed that way. None of the previous MCU shows were designed like that. It is extremely unlikely that Ironheart will jump forward several years because doing that would also impact other MCU projects.

So all that taken together is why it feels like a burn off for Ironheart and not for Andor even if it is the same release approach.

I mentioned the show to a friend who is a Marvel fan but doesn't spend a lot of time hanging around message boards. He watched Wakanda Forever a couple years ago after it was added to Disney+ and liked it. He didn't remember who Riri was or that she had been in Wakanda Forever until I reminded him. Dominique Throne was offered the role with the understanding that Riri would start in the movie and then have her own show. They knew this was the plan. But Marvel squandered the momentum that Riri's appearance in the film would have given them if the show had been released promptly.

 

[NeilO]

What they also could have capitalized on was the most recent What ... If? season which featured a version of Ironheart in one of the episodes.

 

[Jake Lipson]

‘Ironheart’ EP Ryan Coogler, Star Dominique Thorne Tease Show’s Connection To Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “Great Sample Of Things To Come”

'Ironheart' EP Ryan Coogler and star Dominique Thorne discuss how the character deals with magic and tech, plus the future of the MCU.

deadline.com

 

[Jake Lipson]

It’s Anthony Ramos’ Time to Play the Villain

The actor has conquered Broadway and blockbuster films, but now he's taking on a new challenge as the Hood/Parker Robbins in the new Marvel series 'Ironheart.'

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Joe Wong]

Saw all 3 episodes that dropped tonight.

Not bad, but nothing spectacular (yet), either.

Spoiler

Tries to have some fun moments, eg. N.A.T.A.L.I.E. the AI entity, similar to Jarvis.

Also liked Alden Ehrenreich’s character, who was revealed to be Obediah Stane’s (Jeff Bridges’ villain from Iron Man) son!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I found the show deeply flawed in a few key ways, but I was never bored and it did a nice job breaking the pattern of these 6-episode seasons where there are 4-5 episodes of build-up and then a rushed finale. The end of the third episode felt like the midpoint of this story.

My biggest problem with the show is that I don't believe that someone with Riri's intellect and skill set would need to turn to crime to finance her ambition. The show needed to do a better job either providing a reason why no major tech company would be willing to hire her, or introduce a ticking clock that would require her to complete her suit on a much faster timetable than legitimate employment would allow.

There were other simple worldbuilding things that didn't work for me, either, and reminded me of the frustrating later seasons of "The Flash" where things happened simply because the writers needed them to. I can absolutely believe that MIT would expel Riri after her recklessness endangered students and faculty and damaged lots of expensive equipment. But there's no way a major academic institution like that would take the liability risk of disabling her suit mid-flight. Likewise with the ransomware attack on the private underground highway company. I can believe they would successfully extort money out of the CEO, but there's no way they would get an equity stake. The company's lawyers would have a field day with a contract signed under duress like that, and having their real names in the document just means that the authorities would know exactly who to arrest.

Likewise, her suit being powered by solar and wind makes no sense. Sustained flight like that would require way more power than the suit's solar panel wings could generate, and wind is neither reliable nor miniaturizable enough to work on a suit like that. If they didn't want to have her create her own arc reactor, have her repurpose some alien tech or something instead. I'd be able to swallow fictional technobabble easier that a couple of real world green energy technologies that don't make any sense at all in this context.

On the plus side:

• The show has a pretty unique look about it. It looks different than the MCU movies, and it looks different than the other MCU shows.
• They did a good job making Riri more flawed here than in Wakanda Forever. She's still really smart, but her ambition and her impatience frequently override her common sense. In a few cases, she recognizes that she's probably making a bad decision, but does it anyway.
• Dominique Thorne is tiny, but she holds the screen in every scene she's in. She definitely has the presence to carry a show like this.
• I like that it's set in Chicago. We've had a ton (probably too many) Marvel projects set in NYC, and a fair number on the West Coast as well. It's cool to see what the MCU's version of America's third biggest city is like.
• You can tell that this predates the streaming budget cuts. The visual effects, especially involving the suit, hold up well in 4K.
• I really love the pairing of Thorne and Ehrenreich in this. There's a real screwball energy between their two characters, and a real push and pull. Ehrenreich's character also brings out a different side of Riri, while tying things back to the original Iron Man in a fun but not overly gimmicky way.
• The show does something different with the suit's A.I. assistant. And while it does feel a bit gimmicky at times, Lyric Ross is great in the role and it opens up some potentially compelling storytelling avenues.

 

[NeilO]

I've watched the first two episodes so far. I am intrigued.

One problem that hit me right away in the first episode is that she just up and leaves the Boston/Cambridge area directly going to Chicago with just the suit. What about all her personal stuff in her dorm room or apartment or wherever? I'd think there would be something she would have wanted with her. Or did she have someone pack and ship her stuff?

Then she just leaves the wheelbarrow with Young Han Solo. I hope she picks that up and returns it later.

 

[Joe Wong]

I've watched the first two episodes so far. I am intrigued.

One problem that hit me right away in the first episode is that she just up and leaves the Boston/Cambridge area directly going to Chicago with just the suit. What about all her personal stuff in her dorm room or apartment or wherever? I'd think there would be something she would have wanted with her. Or did she have someone pack and ship her stuff?

Then she just leaves the wheelbarrow with Young Han Solo. I hope she picks that up and returns it later.

I've seen the entire series.

There are plenty of loopholes and narratively convenient leaps.

First 3 eps are > the last 3 (for me). But the ending

Spoiler

does go against the norm.

 

[Sam Favate]

I’ve had to postpone this one because I’m traveling but I’m looking forward to watching it next week.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Not a perfect show, but it worked for me.