New Iron Man Is a Black Female Teenager, Marvel Reveals
15-year-old MIT student Riri Williams will take over for Tony Stark in comics universe
Joe Otterson | July 6, 2016 @ 9:49 AM
Last Updated: July 6, 2016 @ 10:01 AM
Marvel
The new Iron Man is, well — not a man.
Marvel has revealed that Tony Stark will hand over the supersuit to a 15-year-old African American woman named Riri Williams after the events of the comic book series “Civil War II.”
Williams was recently introduced in the series “Invincible Iron Man.” She is a science whiz who is already enrolled at MIT. She came to Stark’s attention after she designed her own Iron Man-style suit in her dorm.
“One of the things that stuck with me when I was working in Chicago a couple of years ago on a TV show that didn’t end up airing was the amount of chaos and violence,” series writer Brian Michael Bendis told Time, which first reported the news. “And this story of this brilliant, young woman whose life was marred by tragedy that could have easily ended her life–just random street violence–and went off to college was very inspiring to me.
“I thought that was the most modern version of a superhero or superheroine story I had ever heard,” he continued. “And I sat with it for awhile until I had the right character and the right place.”
Robert Downey Jr. currently plays Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There has long been speculation about what would happen to the character should Downey decide to leave the franchise, however. With Williams coming onto the scene, it could mean a whole new film series down the road.
Michael Keaton Is Batman and the Vulture: 27 More Stars in Both Marvel and DC Movies (Photos)
The animosity between Marvel and DC goes back decades in the comics world, but it's still burgeoning in Hollywood. It turns out a bunch of actors have switched sides in that corporate war over the years -- and some are making that move even now.
Ben Affleck Marvel: "Daredevil" (2003)
DC: "Batman v Superman," future DC Extended Universe movies
Ryan Reynolds Marvel: "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Deadpool," "Blade: Trinity"
DC: "Green Lantern"
Chris Evans Marvel: Human Torch in "Fantastic Four" (2004) and its sequel, "Rise of the Silver Surfer"; Captain America in Marvel Cinematic Universe
DC: "The Losers"
Willem Defoe Marvel: "Spider-Man"
DC: Just signed on for upcoming "Justice League" film
Tommy Lee Jones Marvel: "Captain America: The First Avenger"
DC: "Batman Forever"
Idris Elba Marvel: "Thor," "Thor: The Dark World" "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"
DC: "The Losers"
JK Simmons Marvel: "Spider-Man" (2002-2007)
DC: "Justice League" (future)
Tao Okamoto Marvel: "The Wolverine"
DC: "Batman v Superman"
Djimon Hounsou Marvel: "Guardians of the Galaxy"
DC: "Constantine"
Laurence Fishburne Marvel: "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"
DC: "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman"
James Marsden Marvel: "X-Men" films
DC: "Superman Returns"
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Marvel: "Thor: The Dark World"
DC: "Suicide Squad"
Natalie Portman Marvel: "Thor," Thor: The Dark World"
DC: "V for Vendetta"
Hugo Weaving
Marvel: "Captain America: The First Avenger"
DC: "V for Vendetta"
Josh Brolin Marvel: Various Marvel Cinematic Universe films
DC: "Jonah Hex"
Michael Fassbender Marvel: "X-Men" prequels
DC: "Jonah Hex"
Michael Clarke Duncan Marvel: "Daredevil"
DC: "Green Lantern"
Halle Berry Marvel: "X-Men" trilogy
DC: "Catwoman"
Tim Robbins Marvel: "Howard the Duck"
DC: "Green Lantern"
Zoe Saldana Marvel: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
DC: "The Losers"
Chin Han Marvel: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
DC: "The Dark Knight"
Callan Mulvey Marvel: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
DC: "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice"
David Dustmalchian Marvel: "Ant-Man"
DC: "The Dark Knight Rises"
Parker Posey Marvel: "Blade: Trinity"
DC: "Superman Returns"
Terence Stamp Marvel: "Elektra"
DC: "Superman" (1978), "Superman II" (1980)
Angela Bassett Marvel: "Black Panther"
DC: "Green Lantern"
Jon Favreau Marvel: "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," "Iron Man 3"
DC: "Batman Forever"
Michael Keaton Marvel: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"
DC: "Batman" (1989)
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Despite the seemingly eternal rivalry between the two largest comic book brands, some big actors have been in films from both sides
The animosity between Marvel and DC goes back decades in the comics world, but it's still burgeoning in Hollywood. It turns out a bunch of actors have switched sides in that corporate war over the years -- and some are making that move even now.
