Dominque Thorne on the physical and mental challenges playing Marvel's 'Ironheart'

USA Today

3 days ago

NEW YORK – Dominque Thorne admits it's a "bit of a relief" that Disney+'s Marvel series "Ironheart" is seeing the light of day after five years in development (first three episodes now streaming; three final installments due July 1). But the actress, who reprises her role from 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" as the series' title character, is thankful for the time she had to prepare for the project.
"I think it was a great chance to really hit the ground running," Thorne, 27, tells USA TODAY of the series' delays, blamed partly on the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. "'Wakanda Forever' was such a fabulous introduction to the scale, to the process, to the visual effects of it all."
There's also a physical aspect to the role of Riri Williams, a 19-year-old genius who studies at MIT and creates an iron suit that rivals Tony Stark's. Thorne says that she learned a lot about what she calls the 52-pound "iron glory" suit from "Wakanda Forever." For "Ironheart," Thorne is working with a physical suit (from the full body armor to scenes where she only wears the helmet) about half of the time; the rest is handled with visual effects.
The actress says Marvel was "a lot kinder on me, physically this go around" in regards to the costume. But that didn't mean the series didn't require physicality. She took on a few months of stunt training.
"That might have been the highlight of the process for me," she says, admitting it wasn't all fun and games. "I can't even imagine playing these characters (who are not human) because I had all sorts of weird things happen. I had like a bone in my foot that kept getting jammed and (we) would have to shake it back and tape it up."
How 'Ironheart' picks up from 'Wakanda Forever'
As "Ironheart" begins, Riri finds herself at a crossroads, reckoning her role in the war between the people of Wakanda and the underwater Talokan kingdom.
She "goes back home to Chicago to do a bit of reflecting and consider what it means for her to have contributed to something so insane, and what that says about her potential and her capabilities," Thorne says.
In the process, Riri struggles with the anxiety of her decisions and how they'll impact those she loves. Thorne admits balancing Williams' mental state with her superhero capabilities was tough.
"At the core of everything to me is how she became Ironheart that we have in the comics," Thorne says. Riri's stepdad Gary was a mechanic and his death inspired her pursuit of "iron anything." "It's very difficult to go out and rescue a world when you yourself have your own battles that you haven't yet fought."
'Ironheart' offers up the 'perfect' adversary: The Hood
Thorne notes that when Riri returns home, she's in a comfortable setting. But that allows Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos) to catch her off guard. Robbins, who dawns a magical cloak to become The Hood, meets Williams at a time when they have a shared interest in proving their worth to the world and seeking validation from others. The difference is that Robbins isn't as well-intentioned as Riri.
"When the show starts, (Williams) has a very clear idea of who she is, how the system works and how she fits into it," Thorne says. "And very quickly she realizes, 'This is not what I was expecting at all.' The Hood is absolutely not anything that Riri is expecting and that almost makes it the perfect challenge."
As for working with Ramos, Thorne says that he was "so unserious, which is the best kind of scene partner."
"(Ramos is) just so open and receptive and really leans into the fun of it all," she says. "He made it easy to enjoy, for sure."