Marvel.
Yes! Now I want to see Riri on the big screen.
Tony Stark is stepping down as Iron Man and will be replaced by a young black girl named Riri Williams at the end of the comic book event series Civil War II.
According to Time, “Riri is a science genius who enrolls in MIT at the age of 15. She comes to the attention of Tony when she builds her own Iron Man suit in her dorm.”
[…]
Bendis claims that some of the most die-hard fans have been willing to at least give the casting shake-up a shot, thanks to his involvement with other diverse heroes such as Miles Morales (aka black Spider-Man) and Jessica Jones. He admits, though, that while there are still some bizarrely racist comments out there over Marvel’s increasingly diverse roster of characters, that’s changing.
“There was a part of an audience crawling through the desert looking for an oasis when it came to representation,” he said, “and now that it’s here, you’ll go online and be greeted with this wave of love.”
And from what it sounds like, Iron Man is in good hands with Riri. “Her brain is maybe a little better than his [Tony’s],” Bendis adds. “She looks at things from a different perspective that makes the armor unique. He can’t help but go maybe I should buy her out.”
Via Out.
Predictably, some of the ignorant backlash from racists involves garbage like “women and black people can’t be that smart” and “rewriting history”.
Comic book fiction is “history”? No doubt in the same way that “Leave It To Beaver” was history.
My thought on the reboot: Her being smaller means there’s more room for protection and gadgets. Then again, with drones and remote technology available, why be inside the suit at all and at risk of injury (re: the “Iron Man III” movie)?
Oh, I like this! I don’t read comics, but I’m starting to htink maybe I should!
Been a long time since I was in an MIT dorm, but I suspect the “no welding” rule still applies.
Pierce @ 3:
Since when do students pay attention to rules? ;)
I’m a hair person and I *love* her hair. The whole thing is a very cool idea. Yay for Marvel!
Kestrel @ 5:
So do I! Mine won’t do anything that spectacular, it’s straight as a razor, but it is down past my arse. :D
@Caine: OK now, THAT is cool! I am at mid-thigh myself, and headed for knee. :-)
But you know, usually, black women are expected to straighten their hair and this lady is shown with her hair the way it normally is. I think that’s pretty cool. I really love all hair, straight, curly, thick, thin whatever, but don’t think it is right or fair that sometimes black kids even get sent home from school because their hair is not straightened. Hair is awesome and should be celebrated. People should not be policed for their normal hair.
Iron Man has never been one of my favs—I just don’t find Tony Stark to be a very sympathetic character, in general—so I’ve only intermittently read him in the Funny Pages.
This, on the other hand, looks interesting! I may have to pick it up!
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*happy dance*
I’m a WoC, and comic book fan who has never picked up an Iron Man book in her life. I only know about him from reading The Avengers comics, and he wasn’t remotely likable.
But I will read Iron Man/Riri.
lakitha tolbert #10
jeez
Make the Hero™ not white male and not white male people get interested.
whodathunk
@ kestrel #7
Whaaaat?!?!? That’s seriously fucked up.
More on topic, I thing it’s great that comics are pushing limits like this. It’s rather sad that this is still a limit that needs pushing.
@ 8 cicely
Funny thing is, he was actually designed that way. :-)
I’ve seen a heck of a lot of people take one look and immediately ask “how does she get her hair in the helmet?” -- because if there’s one thing that’s obviously implausible about the whole Iron Man concept, that’s it right there. Sure. Weapons that magically deploy from hammerspace? Fine. G-forces that would turn any human inside the suit into paste? No problem. Big hair? Totally breaks the suspension of disbelief.
Dunc @ 14:
Oh for pity’s sake. Hair is not made out of metal or something. As someone who has a great deal of hair, and spends time getting it wavy, I can testify how simple it is to get that mass of hair tucked away.
I am also reminded of the ‘Shepherd Book’s Hair’ episode of Firefly.
Unless her hair IS the helmet…. DUNDUNDUNNN!!!
I’m going to jump in and say that I also have a great deal of hair. It is down past my fingertips. And yet it compacts wonderfully well and I can and do wear a helmet.
I think people just are not familiar with long hair and don’t understand it. Her putting her hair in a helmet is totally believable to me.
Caine:
“Doesn’t matter. It’ll still be there… waiting.”
:D
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