Concluding phase 4 of the MCU, Black Panther 2 introduced some new characters and develops the existing ones. As Shuri took on the mantle of the Wakandan superhero after the untimely passing of T’Challa, Okoye joined The Midnight Angels. While the film was very well received by many fans, not everyone was satisfied with the new Black Panther and the story of the film. The studio later released some deleted scenes suggesting that the former General of Dora Milaje could also have been the next queen of Wakanda.
And Dominique Thorne, who made her MCU debut with Black Panther 2, has also shared some deleted scenes of Riri Williams. During her interview with The Direct, the Ironheart star also shared the reason why those scenes were cut out of the film.
Riri Williams Deleted Scenes From Black Panther 2
During an interview with The Direct, Dominique Thorne reflected on some deleted scenes from Wakanda Forever. While there are some similarities between Iron Man and Ironheart, the characters are not totally alike. They come from different backgrounds and have different lifestyles.
However, according to the 25-year-old actress, some scenes of the sequel would have created some parallel between the characters. She shared that after being abducted by the Talokanil, Shuri, and Riri Williams would have shared some “strong, relationship-building moments.”
She further said that after visiting the Sastun, they would offer Namor to help find a more efficient way for the power distribution at Talokan. They would then start working on it and plan their escape as well. But the filmmakers decided to remove these scenes from the final cut. The sequel, however, included Letitia Wright’s Shuri visiting Talokan with Namor, and they were later rescued by Nakia.
Black Panther 2 was already almost three hours long, and including the deleted scenes would have only increased its runtime. However, it was not the only reason filmmakers decided to cut off Riri Williams’ scenes.
Why Riri Williams’ Scenes Were Deleted From Black Panther 2?
In comics, Riri Williams is portrayed as a huge fan of Iron Man and creates her own suit. However, the MCU version of the character is portrayed as a legacy hero based on Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. The superhero was last seen in the 2019 film, Avengers: Endgame and fans have been eagerly waiting for his return to the MCU.
Being one of the most popular and loved Marvel superheroes, he would have easily overshadowed Ironheart in Black Panther 2. The deleted scene described by Thorne seems similar to Iron Man’s origin story from the 2008 film.
In the original film, Tony Stark was abducted by a terrorist group called the Ten Rings. During his captivity, he meets Ho Yinsen and plans to build armor to escape with him. The first glimpse at Riri Williams’ Ironheart working on her suit in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s trailer already reminded fans of their favorite superhero.
Dominique Thorne is all set to star in her Disney+ series, and the sequel was intended to introduce the character to the MCU. But the inclusion of these scenes would have shifted the focus from Ironheart to Iron Man.
However, there were still some scenes that reminded fans of Iron Man. During the FBI chase scene, Riri Williams overestimates her suit when she tries to shoot down the drone and her suit runs out of oxygen. Something similar happened in the first Iron Man when Tony Stark decided to test his new Mark II armor’s altitude limit.
Black Panther 2 is available to stream on Disney+.
Ironheart is expected to release in late 2023 on Disney+.
Source: The Direct
