The MCU’s new Iron Man armor is the best I’ve seen in eight years

The story of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has transcended its own trilogy, being an integral component of the Avengers films and Spider-Man films, with the new series Iron Heart set to feature some of the best armor ever seen in the franchise. With Dominique Thorne leading the cast of Iron Heart after its debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams is set to lead her own series when it launches in June 2025. Marvel recently gave the first look at this Disney+ project with a reel focusing on all of its 2025 television releases.

Costumes and uniforms in the MCU have been an important part of the series’ narrative, with many heroes receiving their costumes at the end of their character’s journey. Unlike 2000, when X-Men featured the heroes in matching black leather instead of their canonical spandex, audiences today love classic superhero uniforms with comedic precision. Matching the tone, feel, and colors of the comic page is an important part of the story, and it looks like Ironheart is poised to do so in a new and refreshing way in 2025.

There’s Something Undeniably Cool About Iron Man’s Early Armor

Iron Man’s armor in phases 1-3 was the best

The franchise’s first Iron Man armor was incredible. Watching the costumes evolve throughout the series was also compelling. Tony Stark originally built a giant metal suit in a cave from a box of scraps, and the feel and personal touch of that was essential to his character’s journey. Much of this persisted for years, making Iron Man’s suit feel tangible and real, similar to a Transformer, even though much of the MCU’s Iron Man didn’t really make sense.

Unfortunately, turning to nanotechnology has become a prominent focus in the MCU, even changing Iron Man comic book lore, which gave them the opportunity to animate it. This made it easier to put on and remove masks on films during post-production. This change missed something important, however. Iron Man’s armor at the beginning of the MCU looked like a real suit. Later, it became almost like a second skin for the hero, which could be summoned at will. This cheapened the feeling and excitement associated with incredible technology.

Iron Man’s Phase 4 Nanotech Armors Were Never as Cool as Marvel Thought

Nanotechnology suits were criticized in the franchise

Yes, nanotech armor is an incredible possibility and there are many interesting details to explore with it. However, this change removed much of the tension between the character and his costume. In The AvengersWhen Tony Stark fell from the tower, it was shocking and dangerous to see his suitcase of armor drag him down and tie up his body just before he hit the ground. This made for one of Iron Man’s best appearances in the MCU. On the other hand, with nanotechnology, armor can be added or removed in an instant with unrealistic computer animation.

The nanotech armor is cool, but nothing feels real. Without even having to remove the mask from the helmet itself, Iron Man’s suit transforms into what appears to be an animation in addition to Robert Downey Jr.’s performance. While the design was excellent, using it as the complete Phase 4 replacement for the tactile suits only cheapened the character and his power set, taking away the limitations of that armor and eliminating them. It was very easy, very convenient, and very polished.

Ironheart’s armor looks as impressive as any of Tony Stark’s

Riri Williams’ Ironheart Suit Feels Tangible and Real

Fortunately, the way the trailer showed off Ironheart’s armor, in just a small tease, looks reminiscent of Tony Stark’s original costumes. After its appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it’s exciting to see Riri in a lab, working on building real metal suits. The bulky shape of these pieces and their weaponry feel like something genuinely handmade, and the abilities they possess feel more impactful and more important as a result. Riri’s armor looks simply real.

This should be used effectively in the series, but it’s a brilliant start to the next show. Everything that is known about Iron Heart shows that The production team knows that it’s vital for the audience to feel connected to the series’ hero, and this can be done by making him feel grounded and fallible. Understanding the limitations of your armor makes emotional investment in the character much easier to make, and seeing the imperfect physical makeup of metal, sweat, and tears feels tied to true human passion.

It remains to be seen whether Iron Heart It’s a quality series when released in 2025, but the way the armor is being used is a good sign. Riri Williams didn’t connect much in Black Panther 2but the character clearly has an important future in the broader cinematic universe. Seeing how this is accomplished in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man replacement in Iron Heart With this short teaser you get an excellent suggestion of what’s to come. Hopefully the future of the show will just follow this same excellent path.