CHICAGO (WLS) — The new Disney+ series “Ironheart” prominently features Chicago, with the latest installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe being filmed throughout the city.
Dominique Thorne stars as Riri Williams, with south suburban native Lyric Ross also part of the cast. They shared insights with ABC7 about the tale of a talented young inventor looking toward the future.
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Thorne spoke about how it feels to lead the new franchise.
“It’s exhilarating,” Thorne expressed. “I’m sure it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s already been beyond anything I could have imagined… so I’m excited to see where it goes next.”
Ross reflected on being back in the Chicago area to promote the show.
I think we can all understand how necessary and encouraging it is for young kids to have someone who looks like them, who they can relate to, who excites them and encourages them to do the noble thing.
Dominique Thorne, Ironheart
“Oh, man, it’s been great, all of my family is here,” Ross said. “They’re excited about this release. It’s been pretty awesome. Actually, I moved back here a couple of years ago.”
A lot of scenes in “Ironheart” were filmed in the city.
“I love the river,” Thorne said. “I’m a bit of an architecture nerd, so I love the architecture. I do the tour every time that I can. It blows my mind, being from New York, that a river can flow through a city.”
Ross talked about the weight of being a part of the expanding Marvel universe.
“I’ve been following Marvel since I was about two years old, and it’s because of my dad, he’s been a comic book freak since he was a kid,” Ross said. “It’s been awesome, because I don’t know any character like her really. She’s one of the coolest characters I’ve gotten to experience.”
The story and character of Riri Williams has done a lot for STEM and encouraging young Black girls to be involved in the sciences.
“I think we can all understand how necessary and encouraging it is for young kids to have someone who looks like them, who they can relate to, who excites them and encourages them to do the noble thing, the thing that we know we’ll be better for in the end,” Thorne said. “We were actually able to speak to some young girls in STEM and we got to share in their excitement for the show and see how much hope they have for whatever this will be for them, and the work they’re doing already.”
“Ironheart” debuts on Disney+ June 24.
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