The MCU's New Iron Man Armor Is The Best I've Seen In Eight Years

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Outfits and uniforms in the MCU have been an important part of the series' storytelling, with many heroes receiving their costumes late in their characters' runs. Unlike in 2000, when X-Men featured the heroes in matching black leather rather than their canonical spandex, audiences today love classic, comic-accurate superhero uniforms. Matching the tone and feel and colors of the comic book page are an important part of the story, and it appears that Ironheart is set to do that in a new and refreshing way in 2025.

There's Just Something Undeniably Cool About The First Iron Man Armors

Iron Man's Armor In Phases 1-3 Were The Best

The first Iron Man armor in the franchise was incredible. Watching the suits evolve throughout the run of the series was also compelling. Tony Stark originally built a giant metal suit in a cave from a box of scraps, and the personal feel and touch of that was integral to his character journey. Much of that persisted for years, making Iron Man's suit feel tangible and real, akin to a Transformer, even if much of the MCU's Iron Man actually made no sense.

Unfortunately, turning to nanotechnology became a prominent focus in the MCU, even changing Iron Man comics lore, which gave them the opportunity to animate it. This made it easier to put on and remove masks in the films during post-production. This change lost something important, however. Iron Man's armor at the beginning of the MCU felt like a real suit. Later, it became almost like a second skin for the hero that could be summoned on or off at will. This cheapened the feeling and excitement tied in with the incredible technology.

Iron Man's Phase 4 Nanotech Armors Were Never As Cool As Marvel Thought

Nanotech Costumes Have Been Criticized In The Franchise

Yes, nanotech armor is an incredible possibility, and there are many interesting details to explore with it. However, this change removed so much of the tension between the character and his suit. In The Avengers, when Tony Stark fell from the tower, it felt shocking and dangerous to see his suitcase of armor trail him and strap over his body just before hitting the ground. This contributed to one of Iron Man's best MCU appearances. Conversely, with nanotech, the armor can be added or removed in an instant with unrealistic computer animation.

Nanotech armor is cool, but none of it feels real. Without even having to remove the mask of his own helmet, the Iron Man suit is turned into what feels like an animation on top of Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. While the design was excellent, using this as Phase 4's complete replacement for the tactile suits only cheapened the character and his power set, taking the limitations of that armor and doing away with them. It was too easy, too convenient, and too polished.

Ironheart's Armor Looks As Stunning As Any Of Tony Stark's

Riri Williams' Ironheart Suit Looks Tangible And Real

Fortunately, the way the trailer showed Ironheart's armor, in only a small tease, appears reminiscent of the original Tony Stark suits. After her appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is exciting to see Riri in a lab, working on building real metal suits. The bulky shape of these pieces and their weaponry feel like something genuinely crafted by hand, and the abilities that they then possess feel more impactful and more important as a result. Riri's armor looks simply real.

This must be used effectively in the series, but this is a brilliant start for the upcoming show. Everything known about Ironheart shows that the production team knows it is vital that audiences feel connected to the hero in the series, and this can be done by making her feel grounded and fallible. Understanding the limitations of her armor makes emotional investment in the character that much easier to do, and seeing the flawed but physical makeup of metal and sweat and tears feels linked to real human passion.

Endgame and Iron Man (2008) with a red hue

I Know The MCU's Best Way To Do Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Return & It's Not Avengers 6

Robert Downey Jr. recently fueled hopes that he will return as Iron Man, and I think Tony Stark does not have to wait for Avengers: Secret Wars.

It remains to be seen if Ironheart is a quality series when it is released in 2025, but the way that armor is being used is a good sign. Riri Williams did not connect in a big way in Black Panther 2, but the character clearly has an important future in the larger cinematic universe. Seeing how this is realized in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man's replacement in Ironheart with this short teaser is an excellent suggestion of what is to come. Hopefully, the show’s future only follows this same excellent path.

Set after Dominique Thorne's MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios' Ironheart series follows Riri Williams as she follows in Iron Man's steps as a high-tech superhero and crosses paths with Anthony Ramos' Parker Robbins a.k.a. The Hood, a magic user with ties to the dark arts. The six-episode Disney+ series is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5.