Among the various entries on the schedule of upcoming Marvel TV shows is the long-gestating Ironheart, which will see Dominique Thorne return to play the lead role of tech prodigy Riri Williams. The series, which was announced in 2020, has been a long time coming, and details have been scarce over the past few years. However, footage from the show was finally unveiled at the D23 Expo this past weekend. Per reports, fans received some solid glimpses of Williams taking to the skies in her armored outfit. Interestingly, the teaser also revealed a widely unexpected and massive Marvel Cinematic Universe deep-cut cameo.
Interconnectivity and continuity are major aspects of the MCU, and that’s continued to be the case as the franchise continues its rise within the TV sphere. It was established in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that Riri was a student at MIT, which has played a role in the MCU before. With that, the D23 footage revealed that fans will see the return of veteran actor Jim Rash, who appeared as one of the school’s officials in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Rash’s return can be seen in an X post shared by @captaincupkicks, and his character appears to be in a lab of some sort.
Jim Rash’s character (whose actual name has yet to be revealed) served as an MIT liaison when Tony Stark gave a presentation for the September Foundation at the school. The school official enthusiastically commended Stark after he showed off his B.A.R.F. technology. The witty rep also asked Stark if any of the grant money being handed out would be available to the university’s staff as well. Check out the MIT scene from Civil War down below:
This is a small cameo, and it may not be massive in the grand scheme of Ironheart. However, as someone who appreciates small pieces of narrative, connective tissue like this, I have to say this is cool. In recent years, Marvel Studios has truly been proving that it has no problem bringing back actors to reprise their roles, even after long absences. The creatives have even been able to repurpose some characters to great effect.
Such a notion is exemplified by a cool Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man connection. In the Hulk-centric movie, Martin Starr played an unnamed Culver University student, and he later appeared as eccentric teacher Mr. Harrington in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige later confirmed that they were indeed the same person. To be clear, that more than likely wasn’t always the plan, and this isn’t quite the same as Jim Rash’s situation. However, Starr’s return is still a nice case of smoothing out continuity for the better. (Plus, you have to appreciate that Marvel doesn’t mind showcasing witty educators in its productions now and then.)
Ironheart will see Riri Williams settling back into her life following the explosive events of Wakanda Forever. As revealed by the D23 footage, which CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg witnessed during a massive presentation, Williams gets expelled from MIT. (That may be due to her extracurricular activities in the aforementioned African nation.) She eventually finds a somewhat shifty ally in Parker Robbins a.k.a. The Hood, who entices her to do something that’s not totally on the up and up.
Having enjoyed Dominique Thorne’s debut as Riri, I’m looking forward to seeing more of the character and learning about the people in her orbit. I’d imagine that Thorne’s interaction(s) with Jim Rash’s character will be humorous, given the Community alum’s comedic sensibilities. Let’s hope Rash plays a solid role in the proceedings – and that we finally learn his character’s name in the process.
Check out Jim Rash, Dominique Thorne and the rest of the Ironheart cast when the show debuts sometime in 2025 for Disney+ subscription holders. For now, scan the 2024 TV schedule for excellent series that have premiered or are about to debut.
