Ironheart is almost ready to engage her power armor’s thrusters and take flight on Disney+.
The final Marvel Phase 5 TV show will make its debut on June 24 in the US, and June 25 in the UK and Australia (NB: it’ll air in other nations on one of these dates, too). So, there’s no time like the present to learn more about who’s part of its cast.
I briefly covered the actors and characters you’ll see in my dedicated Ironheart guide. However, this article reveals more about each star, where you might have seen them before, and who they’re playing.
Some housekeeping before we begin. First, I haven’t included actors that Marvel hasn’t confirmed to appear, so there’ll be no spoilers about characters who are rumored to turn up. That said, slight spoilers follow for some character backstories in Marvel comics, which have been adapted for this show. Turn back now, then, if you don’t want to ruin your viewing experience.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart
Almost three years after making her live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thorne’s Williams will finally front her own standalone TV series.
Following her “overseas internship” in Wakanda, Williams returns to MIT to continue her studies – or so she thinks. Expelled for helping other students complete their assignments, the eponymous hero heads back to Chicago. After crossing paths with The Hood (more on him in a moment) in her home city, Williams soon finds herself torn between the ambition to create a suit to rival that of Tony Stark’s Iron Man with The Hood’s financial help, and her heroic desire to make the world a better and safer place.
Last seen in Lionsgate’s crime comedy anthology flick Freaky Tales, Thorne has also appeared in Judas and the Black Messiah, If Beale Street Could Talk, and What If…? season 3.
Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins/The Hood
The Hood – real name Parker Robbins – is a Chicago native who convinces a reluctant Williams to join his gang of criminal activists and help them carry out heists.
As his villainous alter-ego implies, Robbins wears a hooded cloak that’s imbued with dark magic. The mystical artifact grants him abilities including teleportation and invisibility, and allows him to channel chaos magic through his dual pistols.
Following his breakout role in Netflix‘s TV adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It, Ramos has featured in various tentpole movies, including In The Heights, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Twisters. He’s also made appearances in other small-screen ventures, such as Will & Grace and In Treatment.
Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington
Williams’ best friend before she was accidentally killed in a drive-by shooting, Ross has a dual role in Ironheart. Indeed, not only does she portray the real-life Natalie in flashbacks, but she’s also as the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant – known as N.A.T.A.L.I.E – that Williams creates after she’s thrown out of MIT.
Best known for playing Deja Pearson in This Is Us on US network NBC, Ross’ other credits include Wendell & Wild, Canal Street, and Chicago Fire.
Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy
Little is publicly known about this character, who’ll be portrayed by Star Wars alumnus Alden Ehrenreich. Ironheart‘s official trailer suggested he’ll be an acquaintance of Williams, but Ironheart‘s first trailer also implied he’ll be some form of black market arms dealer. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans, then, think there’s more to him than meets the eye.
Most famous for playing a younger Han Solo in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ehrenreich has also had roles in movies like Oppenheimer, Cocaine Bear, and Hail, Caesar!. He’s also appeared in Peacock TV Original Brave New World.
Manny Montana as Cousin John
The Hood’s right-hand man , Cousin John is second-in-command of the Young Lords and helps the group’s leader to plan their next hit.
More of a TV actor than a big-screen star, Montana has held main cast roles in USA Network’s Graceland, ABC’s Conviction, and NBC’s Good Girls. He’s also featured in Mayans M.C on FX via Hulu, Westworld on HBO and Max, and Miles from Tomorrowland on Disney Junior.
Matthew Elam as Xavier
A close friend of Williams who the latter reconnects with upon her return to Chicago, Xavier’s backstory has been altered from his comic book counterpart for this MCU production. Indeed, in Marvel literature, he’s just a neighbor of Williams but, in Ironheart‘s TV adaptation, he’s also Natalie’s brother.
Last seen in 2024 indie drama Exhibiting Forgiveness, viewers might recognize Elam from small-screen projects including 61st Street and FX’s Fargo TV reimagining. He also played Ray Ray in The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.
Anji White as Ronnie Williams
Another Fargo and 61st Street alumnus, Anji White is set to play Ronnie Williams, aka Riri’s mom, in Ironheart. Ronnie was in a relationship with Riri’s stepfather Gary (more on him shortly) before Gary was killed during the same incident that led to Natalie’s death.
As well as the aforementioned TV shows, White’s resume includes appearances in USA Network’s The 4400, NBC’s Chicago Med, and Showtime’s The Chi, the last of those of which can also be streamed on Paramount+ in certain nations.
LaRoyce Hawkins as Gary Williams
As I mentioned, Gary was Riri’s stepdad before he was gunned down alongside Natalie. A car mechanic by trade, he’ll be seen in various flashback sequences throughout the show and be played by LaRoyce Hawkins.
Like White, Hawkins has made a couple of appearances in Chicago Med as Kevin Atawer. He’s most well-known for portraying the same character in other installments of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise, though. Indeed, Atawer has a recurring role in procedural drama Chicago Fire and is a major character in its popular police-centric offshoot Chicago P.D.
Regan Aliyah as Zelma Stanton
Like Ehrenreich’s McGillicuddy, very little is publicly known about Aliyah’s character. Marvel has confirmed the actor is part of Ironheart‘s cast and, having seen all six episodes of the series, I can confirm Zelma Stanton in the show. Nonetheless, I won’t spoil what her role is in proceedings here.
Aliyah will be a familiar face to anyone who’s streamed XO, Kitty on Netflix, aka the world’s best streaming service. She’s also had roles in Indian Telugu-language rom-com flick BF For Hire and Tubi’s psychological horror film Please Don’t Feed the Children.
Cree Summer as Madeline
A friend of Ronnie’s who runs a confectionary shop (it’s not really, but I’ll spoil a big part of the plot if I say what she actually does!), Madeline is also a spiritual individual who uses burning herbs to cleanse people, such as Riri, who are apparently a breeding ground for ‘bad energy’.
Widely known for voicing Susie Carmichael in ’90s kids TV show Rugrats, the multitalented artist’s incredibly varied career also includes roles in Abbott Elementary, Atlanta, The Legend of Vox Machina, Puppy Dog Pals, and many, many others.
Eric André as Stuart Clarke/Rampage
The Young Lords’ so-called tech wizard before he’s dumped in favor of Riri Williams, Clarke/Rampage is portrayed by the multitalented Eric André. He’s a character with a Marvel history, too – indeed, Rampage is a former supervillain who created his own super-suit that granted him enhanced strength and durability. More recently in Marvel’s literary works, he’s become a close ally of The Punisher.
As for André, he’s appeared in a whole host of movies and TV shows. Disenchanted, Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, Jackass Forever, and Trolls Band Together are just some of the projects he’s appeared in. He’s best known for his self-titled The Eric André Show, though, which spawned the infamous ‘Let Me In!’ meme that’s still used to this day.
Add in a couple of albums and numerous stand-up comedy specials, and André is one of Ironheart‘s more recognizable faces.
Sonia Denis as Clown
Another member of the Young Lords, the individual who goes by the codename Clown is a rowdy, pyrotechnics fans who loves to antagonize her fellow criminals.
Known for writing various episodes of Guilty Party and A Black Lady Sketch Show, Denis has also starred in front of the camera in projects like Birdgirl, Sweatland, and Ring It Up.
Shea Couleé as Slug
A former Drag queen who wants to steal from the rich in Chicago, the hacker known as Slug is an integral member of the Young Lords.
Couleé, whose big break came by finishing third in season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, went on to win season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and has appeared as a guest on various other iterations of the hit reality series. Most recently, the Chicago native played Lisa Condo in Abbott Elementary, aka one of the best Hulu shows in the US and best Disney+ shows internationally.
Zoe Terakes and Shakira Barrera as Jeri and Roz
The Hood’s hired muscle, Jeri and Roz deliver beatdowns aplenty to anyone who gets in their way during the Young Lords’ heist missions. When they’re not making people catch their fists, the pair are pretty laidback and enjoy the company of their fellow thieves.
Terakes is arguably the more famous of the duo. The Australian actor will be familiar to fans who have seen A24’s psychological horror film Talk to Me, Nine Perfect Strangers season 1 and The Office Australia on Prime Video, and Wentworth on SoHo/Fox Showcase.
Meanwhile, Barrera was part of the main cast on Netflix’s It’s Bruno! and GLOW Tv shows. She’s also had bit-part roles in Star Wars: Ahsoka, Hacks, and the US remake of British comedy drama series Shameless.
Harper Anthony as Landon
The youngest member of this show’s cast, Harper Anthony will portray Landon, a young kid who has a wheeled cart-based snack stall that he makes his allowance out of. He crosses paths with Riri a couple of times when she needs to borrow his child-friendly wagon.
He might only be 12 years old, but Anthony has already got seven acting credits to his name, including an appearance in Chicago Med and roles in the Vulture City and City of Vultures film franchises.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
