Marvel Comics writer Eve L. Ewing takes inspiration from Chicago roots for 'Ironheart' on Disney+

CHICAGO (WLS) — Eve L. Ewing is a Chicago powerhouse, an acclaimed author and cultural organizer in her community.

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She’s also a Marvel creator, who’s been a big success writing stories about superheroes.

Her comics helped inspire the character of “Ironheart” on Disney+.

The Logan Square native shared her story about soaring into a universe where her imagination runs wild and free.

Eve L. Ewing, Marvel Comics writer and supervising producer, shared, “An email I received genuinely transformed my life. It was titled ‘Marvel calling.’ Even after seven years, no other email has such a memorable subject line for me!”

Ewing is a professor at the University of Chicago and a speaker in demand around the world.

However, she’s loved comics all her life and Marvel embraced her passion.

She mentioned, “I’ve worked on series like ‘Marvel Team Up,’ ‘Champions,’ ‘Monica Rambo,’ and ‘Black Panther.’ Currently, I’m working on a series named ‘Exceptional X-Men,’ which explores the lives of a team of mutants in Chicago.”

Ewing said she has lost family members due to gun violence; adding that she takes inspiration from her life for the characters’ stories.

Ewing further explained, “I understand the feeling of being in a classroom, aware of my potential contributions, yet perceiving doubts in others. Often, Black women and girls are expected to assume superhero roles quite young, which doesn’t permit us to express vulnerability or experience fear and sorrow.”

READ ALSO | Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’ exemplifies sisterhood, STEM, self-discovery in new Disney+ series

Ewing’s work holds messages for youth, especially for people of color.

“Good and bad comes from a much deeper place sometimes, that’s a lesson I learned very early on as a student in Chicago Public Schools – as a kid who saw other kids get locked up,” she said. “I understand not everybody who commits a crime is a bad guy. Not everybody who sit in power is a good guy.”

When asked about her reaction to her dreams coming true, she said: “every day – every time I walk into a comic book shop, and I see a comic book and, in the corner, it says ‘Ewing’ – that’s crazy all the time.”

Ewing says she will continue to create comic heroes that represent all kinds of people from many backgrounds.

She calls herself a “professional, paid nerd” and says Chicago is the “love of her life” that’s given her such a grand destiny.

Disney is the parent company of Marvel Studios, Disney+ and this station.

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