5 Marvel movies worth watching again before 'Ironheart' comes out next week

Tom's Guide

6 hours ago

For anyone who knows the name Ryan Coogler, "Ironheart" on Disney Plus is a show you're going to want to watch.
Debuting next week, it looks like a light-hearted origin story for the character first introduced in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," named Riri Williams.
But Executive Producer Coogler has been on a roll lately. He not only directed that 2022 film but also the well-received "Sinners," which already has Oscar buzz. Plus, he directed the original "Black Panther" as well.Sometimes, it can be hard to keep all of these Disney shows straight if you haven't watched the recent Marvel films since they came out a few years ago.
To help, here's a homework assignment. These five movies will serve as a refresher for the Black Panther superhero and help prepare you for going back to Wakanda when "Ironheart" comes out June 24. Each movie is also available to watch on Disney Plus making this assignment super easy. (Note: These movies are presented in the order of which ones are worth watching first, starting with the two main "Black Panther" films, but you can watch them in any order.)
The film that started it all, "Black Panther" from 2018, starred the late Chadwick Boseman as a superhero gifted with super strength and even more super technology. He wore the Vibranium Panther Suit and had claws that could rip through just about anything. The most interesting character trait with Black Panther, though, was that he was also the King of Wakanda. That means there are elements of a monarchy to the series and a deep family dynamic. It's not quite clear how Riri Williams, as Ironheart, will factor into that equation.
Once you are done watching "Black Panther," the next best option is to (re)watch "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" because it introduces the Ironheart character. We first meet Riri Williams as an MIT genius experimenting with vibranium technology. The film, released in 2022, was partly an origin story for Ironheart — even if the main story arc was more about the character Shuri becoming a new iteration of Black Panther. We also first meet the villain, Namor.
Released way back in 2016, but still one of the best Marvel movies to date, "Captain America: Civil War" introduced Black Panther with a compelling backstory. Chadwick Boseman's character T'Challa is introduced in Civil War as the Prince of Wakanda. His father, King T'Chaka, is part of a delegation intending to sign the Sokovia Accords to put restrictions on the Avengers. He is killed when a bomb explodes, setting the stage for T'Challa to become not only King of Wakanda but also the Black Panther to honor his late father.
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Marvel knows how to build momentum for their characters — at least, that was true back in 2018. After Black Panther came out in February 2019, the superhero emerged as a key player in "Avengers: Infinity War" that April. (It's hard to remember both films were released only months apart.) Fortunately, that meant it was also easy to remember Black Panther — who ends up leading a massive battle against Thanos and his army.
In case any of us need a reminder (and this is a major spoiler alert): Black Panther was part of the blip in "Infinity War." His character is restored in "Avengers: Endgame," but due to the real-life passing of Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther mantle is passed to his on-screen sister Shuri in "Wakanda Forever. "That's a good backstory to keep in mind. "Ironheart" doesn't focus on Shuri, but we're sure there are flashbacks or references throughout the show. That's because Black Panther is a protector of sorts for Ironheart as Riri Williams learns the ropes.