Not only was Dominique Thorne up to replace Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, but it’s also been learned that she was also up to replace Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.
However, we all know now, she didn’t get the Black Panther part, which went to Letitia Wright, she landed the part of Riri Williams aka Ironheart.
Dominique Thorne Originally Auditioned for Shuri in Black Panther
Marvel released a new “The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” where Dominique Thorne’s audition is shown for Shuri in the first Black Panther who becomes the Black Panther in the sequel.
“Dominique actually auditioned for the role of Shuri in the first movie,” revealed former Marvel producer Nate Moore, who is thought to have been fired due to Marvel’s big failure of Captain America: Brave New World and Eternals, and who refused to hire Marvel creatives who read comic books.
Moore continued, “And we really liked her and we thought she was really smart. And she has a great presence and she is funny and she has a lot of attitude. We remembered that audition and so when we decided to put Riri Williams into Wakanda Forever, she was the first and only call.”
Watch the footage and the full video can be found below.
See the first time Dominique Thorne became Riri Williams in Marvel Studios' Assembled: The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) June 17, 2025
Watch now on Marvel's YouTube: https://t.co/HvNpou469k pic.twitter.com/VNVs0KVjKe
Ironheart Features Drag Queen, Chicago Plot, and Backing from MCU Stars
Marvel’s Ironheart also introduces the MCU’s first drag queen and the plot follows gangsters who turn into activists in Chicago.
The series also gets the official seal of approval from Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Coogler and Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Ironheart premieres on Disney+ on June 24 with its first three episodes.
Watch the video:
