Marvel Casts Lyric Ross In Iron Man Disney+ Spin-off, Ironheart

Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man continues to have a legacy in the MCU more than two years after his on-screen death, which is largely coming to life on Disney+. Two unique shows, Armor Wars and Ironheart, will play the biggest roles in paying tribute to Downey's time as the OG MCU hero. Ironheart will be an exciting one in particular, with Riri Williams becoming the MCU's next young hero to play a key role in the narrative.

Reportedly starting filming this April, Thorne's solo series is already rumored to tie back to the past 14 years of MCU history while also setting her own Riri Williams up for a solo run on-screen. From potentially fighting descendants of Tony Stark's original villain to following up on Riri's introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans are in for a unique trip through MCU lore.

Thorne recently gained a co-star in Anthony Ramos, who's said to be a major part of the MCU's future even though his role hasn't yet been revealed. Now, that duo becomes a trio thanks to the addition of another new actress coming into her first Marvel property.

Ironheart Gains a New Starring Actress

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Lyric Ross will take on a role in Marvel Studios' Ironheart, which is in development for release on Disney+. Ross will reportedly be playing the best friend of lead star Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams.

Ross is best known for playing Deja Pearson on NBC's This Is Us.

Lyric Ross Goes Marvel with Iron Man Spin-Off

Having played a fairly regular role on This Is Us for the last five years, the 18-year-old Lyric Ross already has experience on one of Hollywood's most popular stories. Now, she's able to take that experience into the juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will give her arguably the biggest role of her young career to date.

Playing Riri Williams' best friend should mean that Ross will be something of a series regular, which should lead to the expectation that she'll appear in most, if not all, of the show's episodes. How she helps Riri in her superhero journey or whether she's shown before Ironheart's premiere isn't known, but she won't be in the background in any way.

The big question now is which specific character from Marvel's comic history she will play, assuming it's not someone that comes in as a Marvel Studios original like Phil Coulson. Regardless of the details, Ross will add another level of excellence to the Ironheart cast as Riri Williams and crew look to take Iron Man's legacy to new heights.

Ironheart is rumored to begin filming in April 2022.