Now I Understand Why Marvel Waited 2 Years To Reveal Footage Of A Completed New Release

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Ironheart has been in a strange limbo for years now, but I can finally understand why Marvel waited to release any footage despite its completed production. The character of Riri Williams made her MCU debut in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Many viewers anticipated being able to follow up with Riri through her solo Ironheart series, but it was radio silence from Marvel for quite some time. Even after the show’s filming had wrapped, there was still no teaser or trailer footage, let alone any updates.
As someone who quite enjoyed Riri’s involvement in Wakanda Forever, I was eager to see where the Ironheart character was going to go. However, it was hard to maintain interest in her story nearly two years after her last appearance with little to no updates about her MCU future. I can imagine that for the more casual fan, they’ve potentially forgotten about Ironheart entirely at this point. Now that we have finally gotten a bit of footage from Ironheart though, I feel confident that the wait was well worth it.

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Ironheart's First Footage Just Released - 2 Years After Filming Wrapped Close In a video that Marvel Entertainment released in honor of Marvel's 85th anniversary, footage from upcoming projects was shown as a preview of the MCU’s imminent future. The footage included films and shows that we haven’t gotten any teasers for yet, such as Thunderbolts*, Daredevil: Born Again, and, of course, Ironheart. Whereas the first two projects were still in production as recently as this year, Ironheart wrapped filming all the way back in November 2022. It’s shocking that the first bit of Ironheart footage we’re getting is all the way in 2024, but it’s better late than never.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, the status of Ironheart was up in the air because of major delays in Hollywood and the MCU. The SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes likely contributed a bit to the slow production, but some theorized that there was an issue with the edit or even possible reshoots. Without any word from Marvel explaining the delays, other than a general statement about releasing fewer projects every year, those were the only options fans could presume. Now there’s finally concrete footage of Ironheart out there. Even though it’s only a brief shot of Riri flying in her Ironheart suit, we can finally see where the extra production time has gone.
The VFX In The First Ironheart Footage Looks Great

Ironheart’s visual effects look great so far, specifically her armor. The footage from Marvel’s anniversary video shows Riri flying by some cars in her Ironheart armor, and the improvements from her design in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are clear. Even though the Ironheart suit looked good in Wakanda Forever, Riri’s new suit already looks so much more polished from just a brief clip alone. Marvel likely waited so long to drop any Ironheart footage to ensure that the VFX looked good, and that is an explanation that I’m willing to accept.

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Considering how CGI and VFX have been called out as one of the MCU’s weak areas in recent years, it’s comforting to know that the studio is willing to take time on a project if it means achieving the best quality. The wait for the show has been unexpectedly long, but well-polished visuals will soften the blow of the wait. I would much rather wait a little longer for a project like Ironheart to be dropped if it means that the MCU is giving us their best work.