I JUST REALIZED THAT IRONHEART DIDN’T HAVE ANY COOL, STYLISH END CREDITS LIKE MOST MARVEL DISNEY+ SHOWS. WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE THIS POSTER?
Marvel’s Ironheart has come to an end, closing out Phase Five of the MCU. It’s a curious series to end the phase on—especially with The Fantastic Four: First Steps just around the corner kicking off Phase Six and the final chapter of The Multiverse Saga. The first three episodes of Ironheart were difficult to consistently enjoy, mainly due to Riri Williams’ behavior and the weak justification for why she chose to help a gang of criminals pull off heists. Her only clear motive seemed to be getting rich quick so she could upgrade her suit and get famous, which left many viewers—myself included—writing the show off as another Marvel misfire with an unlikeable lead and inconsistent writing.
But with only three episodes left, does the second half redeem the series?
Spoilers Below!
DOMINIQUE THORNE’S RESPONSE TO THE CRITICS WHO DIDN’T FINISH WATCHING HER SHOW.
A Turning Point and Shift in Tone
Episode 3, “We in Danger, Girl,” ended with Riri (Dominique Thorne) leaving John (Manny Montana)—The Hood’s cousin—to suffocate after trapping him in a room filling with carbon dioxide. While it was self-defense and Riri clearly regrets it, the act was still pretty cold. Worse, it leads Parker Robbins/The Hood (Anthony Ramos) to receive a vision from his mysterious master implicating Riri in John’s death, setting the stage for their inevitable magic-versus-technology showdown.
Thankfully, Episode 4, “Bad Magic,” is where the series finally starts to find its footing, even though the pacing still feels rushed in some places. With limited time to fix the damage she’s caused, Riri begins acknowledging how out of control her actions have become—though only after those actions hurt people, including her reluctant accomplice “Joe McGillicuddy,” a.k.a. Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich), the son of original Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane. Zeke’s arrest due to Riri’s mistakes exposes his identity and ruins his low-key life. He’s understandably furious, and it’s one of the first times someone directly calls Riri out.
Magic, Redemption, and Emotional Weight
Desperate to learn more about The Hood’s cloak, Riri turns to unexpected allies: Madeline and Zelma (Cree Summer and Regan Aliyah), a mother-daughter duo who turn out to be sorcerers. Their involvement is a welcome surprise, especially since the magical side of the MCU has mostly been confined to Doctor Strange, WandaVision, and Agatha All Along. Their insights help Riri understand that magic is beyond her scope of knowledge—with some magics being too dangerous to try and control—and for once, she admits she doesn’t know what to do.
This humility marks a turning point, not just for Riri’s character, but for the remaining episodes as well. There are several emotional moments throughout that bring many of the characters closer together, like Riri reconnecting with her mother, Ronnie (Anji White), over their different reactions to the death of her stepfather, Greg (LaRoyce Hawkins).
Riri herself becomes far more sympathetic. Her brashness is toned down, replaced by emotional vulnerability. She finally admits that the reason she’s obsessed with building her suit isn’t just about fame—it’s because she never wants to feel powerless again, like she did when Natalie and Greg died. It’s a strong motivation that should’ve been addressed much earlier in the series.
N.A.T.A.L.I.E. – The AI With A Soul
Riri’s AI companion N.A.T.A.L.I.E. (Lyric Ross) also continues her desire to be recognized as her own person, even revealing herself to Xavier (Matthew Elam), Riri’s friend and the brother of Natalie (who N.A.T.A.L.I.E. is modeled after). Xavier is understandably initially horrified by N.A.T.A.L.I.E.’s existence, and even demands that Riri delete her, which actually hurts her feelings and makes her question her purpose and identity. Xavier does slowly comes to accept her, though not without reservations.
N.A.T.A.L.I.E.’s reactions and clear emotional responses bring up a lot of questions about the advancements of artificial intelligence and whether or not they should be considered as people, especially when they are based on previously existing people. The MCU has had several sentient AI characters over the years (J.A.R.V.I.S, Ultron, F.R.I.D.A.Y), but the franchise has never really had discussions about their sentience or if they should be treated as equals and not virtual companions. It’s pretty relevant considering the current discussions surrounding AI and how it should be used.
Suits, Fights, and Showdowns
Episode 5, “Karma’s a Glitch,” amps up the tension when The Hood sends his gang to kill Riri. She holds her own using a few gadgets and quick thinking instead of her suit, which—while occasionally straining believability—does make for some good action and stakes.
Zeke, who was broken out of prison by The Hood, gets enhanced with bionic upgrades, aligning him more closely with his comic book counterpart. Zeke’s arc is surprisingly complex and dense for just three episodes: going from wanting revenge, to not wanting to be like his father, to essentially becoming a slave, and then finally having an identity crisis after everything he’s been through. It feels like a lot more character development than most of the Marvel Disney+ shows usually go through, but Alden Ehrenreich manages to pull off the many conflicted layers to Zeke’s character. By the end, he’s neither an enemy nor an ally and feels like a more compelling figure than Riri at times.
The final episode, “The Past Is the Past”, explores The Hood’s backstory—he grew up wealthy but was cast out by his father, fueling his obsession with reclaiming power. He and Riri mirror each other as characters who believed the world owed them something. But where Parker loses everything by chasing power at all costs, Riri finds redemption by choosing love and forgiveness. She rebuilds her suit from Greg’s old car (the one from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) with the help of her family, choosing connection over vengeance. It’s a surprisingly deep, touching, and even tragic message that also emphasizes how Riri and Parker have become more like their respective fathers.
The final confrontation between Riri and Parker is explosive, but the real shock comes in the aftermath. The ending teases a new path for Riri and plenty of potential follow-up stories—if Marvel chooses to continue them.
Enter Mephisto – Finally
With all that said, what is the biggest twist in Ironheart? Mephisto. After years of speculation, Marvel’s literal devil finally appears, revealed as the force behind The Hood’s powers. Four years after fan theories ran wild during WandaVision, and less than a year after his namedrop in Agatha All Along, he finally shows up—played with sinister charisma by Sacha Baron Cohen. Admittedly, Mephisto feels a bit out of place in Ironheart, but Baron Cohen’s performance is so memorable, balancing charm, humor, mystery, and menace, that fans likely won’t mind. His presence hints at bigger, darker things to come, and hopefully Marvel is already planning when and where he’ll show up next.
COOL DETAIL IN THE SPOON’S REFLECTION THERE. I HOPE TO SEE IT IN ANOTHER MCU PROJECT VERY SOON.
A Shaky Redemption, But Not Without Promise
Ironheart started rough, with its protagonist’s motivations poorly justified and some of her actions hard to forgive. If the show had clarified earlier that Riri had been wronged—say, by a corporation stealing her work and leaving her jaded—that would’ve made her decisions more understandable. Instead, the redemption comes late, and while the second half tries to course-correct, some viewers may not be won back.
Still, supporting characters like Zeke, Parker, and N.A.T.A.L.I.E. elevate the show, giving it life beyond Riri’s mistakes. The series raises thoughtful questions about ambition, legacy, artificial intelligence, and what some people are willing to sacrifice to feel powerful—or to protect the people they love.
Ironheart isn’t perfect. But if you stick with it past the halfway mark, it offers enough magic, emotion, moral complexity, and heart to keep your interest. It may not have been the ideal ending to Phase Five, but it ends with a spark—and maybe, just maybe, it’ll light the way for more.
