Yes, the new Iron Man is now going to be a black woman. In a groundbreaking change, Marvel is now going to have a new Iron Man character. At the end of the limited series "Civil War II," Tony Stark will hand over the reins to Riri Williams, who is a black woman.
The "Civil War II" is a follow up to 2006's "Civil War." The latest Captain America film was also based on this. Writer Brian Michael Bendis spoke about this major shift to Time Magazine.
Off late, many Marvel super-heroes are being represented by women and people of diverse backgrounds. The new Iron Man, one of the most beloved characters, is a major creative drift illustrated in the eight-issue miniseries by David Marquez and Justin Ponsor.
Marvel Writer Brian Michael Bendis On The New Iron Man
At the age of 15, Riri, the science genius enrolls in MIT. She grabs the attention of Tony Starks, when she builds a new Iron Man suit in her dorm.
At end of "Civil War II," a new Iron Man will come forth - a black woman named Riri Williams https://t.co/JkHsi9fh6u pic.twitter.com/lZ9eikVfEA
— ABC News (@ABC) July 7, 2016
Bendis told Time that one of the things that stuck with him when he was working in Chicago a couple of years ago on a TV show that didn't end up airing was the amount of chaos and violence. According to him, he was highly influenced by the story of a young woman who could have easily ended her life owing to the amount of tragedy around her due to random street violence.
However, she picked herself gain and went off to college. "I thought that was the most modern version of a superhero or superheroine story I had ever heard. And I sat with it for awhile until I had the right character and the right place," he said.
Brian also feels that the new Iron Man character might not be taken very positively by the fans since they would have literally spent all their childhood adoring them. However, he was confident that the new Iron Man would win hearts.
How exactly will Tony step out of the armor? Well, we have to wait and see.
