The MCU Just Set Up A Way To Make 1 Iron Man Dream A Reality Years After It Was Seemingly Crushed

Marvel Animation"s upcoming What If...? season 3 may tease the reinvention of an Iron Man variant that has been long-rumored to appear in the MCU. Scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on December 22, the first trailer for What If...? season 3 has shown that the upcoming season will be weirder and wilder than its predecessors, and will include a number of characters who are relatively new to the MCU. This includes the likes of Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, Monica Rambeau and Red Guardian, while Riri Williams" Ironheart will also play a key role.
Tony Stark"s Iron Man has played a role in previous seasons of What If...?, but it"s unclear whether he will return in What If...?"s upcoming season 3. In previous episodes, Tony Stark has been killed by Hank Pym, recruited Killmonger, turned into a zombie, fought Justin Hammer at Christmas, defeated the Grandmaster and helped Captain Carter in 1602. What the future holds for these animated Iron Man variants is uncertain, but What If...? season 3 could recreate one previously-rumored but unexplored side of Tony Stark"s MCU story with a new hero.
Superior Iron Man Was Rumored To Be Appearing In Doctor Strange 2 Superior Iron Man Is A Villainous Tony Stark In Marvel Comics

This storyline could reimagine Marvel Comics" Superior Iron Man in the MCU, after this version of Tony Stark was previously rumored to be involved in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Superior Iron Man was introduced to Marvel Comics during 2014"s Avengers & X-Men: AXIS event, in which the personalities of many heroes and villains were inverted, transforming the heroic Iron Man into the villainous Superior Iron Man. While others were returned to normal after this event, Tony Stark was not, and was only reverted after 2015"s Secret Wars.

Related Doctor Strange 2: What Happened To Iron Man In Earth-838? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shows an alternate reality not too different from the MCU, but Iron Man wasn"t one of the heroes featured.
In the lead-up to the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there was a huge amount of speculation that a variant of Tony Stark, using the Superior Iron Man moniker, would be a member of Earth-838"s Illuminati. Many theorized this Stark could be played by Tom Cruise, who almost played Iron Man in the 1990s. This didn"t come to fruition, and Robert Downey Jr."s recasting as Doctor Doom means it"s unlikely the Superior Iron Man will appear in the MCU, but What If...? season 3 might be about to change this.
Riri Williams' Superior Ironheart Tease For What If…? Season 3 Offers A New Way To Adapt The Story What If...? Season 3's Trailer May Have Teased The Superior Ironheart Close The first trailer for What If...? season 3 put Riri Williams" Ironheart front-and-center in teases for at least one episode, which will show off her powers in the space between her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and her next appearance in 2025"s Ironheart series. As well as showing Riri in a basic Ironheart suit, though, What If...? season 3"s trailer has also shown that Riri will suit up in a sleeker white-and-blue costume, which is very reminiscent of the Superior Iron Man"s costume from Marvel Comics.
Riri Williams" MCU Project
Year
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
2022
What If...? Season 3
2024
Ironheart
2025
This could spell a villainous turn for the young Ironheart, who is the perfect candidate to take over the Superior Iron Man storyline, since it"s unlikely Tony Stark will explore this plot in the MCU. The Superior Iron Man played an important role in Marvel Comics" Time Runs Out storyline, which saw Stark as a member of the Illuminati, who set out to destroy other worlds and prevent incursions from destroying the multiverse. With What If...? season 3 releasing as part of the Multiverse Saga, it"s very possible Riri Williams" Superior Ironheart could fill this role.
Why Suiting Up As Superior Ironheart Would Be Perfect For Riri Williams Superior Ironheart In What If...? Would Show New Sides Of Riri Williams

Dominique Thorne has so far only made one appearance in the MCU as Riri Williams" Ironheart, fighting alongside Shuri"s Black Panther and the Wakandans in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Until recently, there had been few updates regarding her solo Disney+ series, but excitement has recently been rising for the show, especially after it was given a June 24, 2025, release date. Ironheart will develop Riri Williams" story in live-action, but there are many sides to the new character that will also be explored in animation, particularly in What If...? season 3.
Transforming Riri Williams into the Superior Ironheart in one episode of What If...? season 3 would give her a crucial role in the upcoming season, giving her main character status and allowing more of her complex and interesting character to be put on display. Ironheart could be pivotal to the MCU going forward, especially since she is the perfect legacy character for Tony Stark following his Avengers: Endgame sacrifice, so she deserves a great deal more development. Showing her as a villain and a hero in What If...? would be a fantastic way to accomplish this mission.

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9.8/10 What If...? SuperheroAnimationActionAdventure What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
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*Availability in US Release Date August 11, 2021 Seasons 1 Directors Bryan Andrews Showrunner Ashley Bradley Upcoming MCU Movies