The last time audiences saw Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) was The climax of Anthony and Joe Russo’s 2019 film ‘Avengers: Endgame’, He used the six powerful Infinity Stones to slay thousands of battlefield attackers. However, Stones was so bad at cosmic energy that it ended up destroying his body, becoming another casualty of Infinity War. Since that film, Iron Man has been referenced in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films, most notably the “Spider-Man: Homecoming” sequel “Far From Home,” where Peter Parker longs for Tony’s advice and mentorship.
In fact, Tony’s death was so dramatic that the heads of the MCU were wise to leave it alone. True, death is usually temporary in comic books, but it was stylish to have Tony remain dead. Of course, those same honchos are now working around Tony Stark’s death. Upcoming Marvel project casts Downey as Doctor Doom.
It also appears that Iron Man will return in television form. According to A new report from VarietyDisney+ will soon debut the animated series “Marvel’s Iron Man and His Awesome Friends.” This is a kid-friendly series featuring a softer version of the superhero of the same name. The title alludes to the 1981 animated TV show “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends,” in which Peter Parker teams up with Ice Man and Firestar. In ‘Awesome Friends’, we see the child version of Tony Stark teaming up with his best friends Ironheart (real name Riri Williams) and Iron Hulk (real name Amadeus Cho).
According to the description, this is a light children’s fantasy and has no canonical connection to any other existing MCU media.
Iron Man and his awesome friends
marvel studios
Here’s the show’s logline, courtesy of Variety:
“To assist the superheroes in their efforts, each (hero) has their own Iron Suit that allows them to fly and provides enhanced super-strength. Additionally, Iron Man has a nano-shield and Ironheart has a heartbeat bubble force field. Iron Hulk, armed with the mighty Iron Boom Clap and Iron Hulk Stomp, lives in his seaside base of Iron Quarters (IQ), overseen by his super-powered android, Vision, and his furry pup. Gamma has his own Iron Pup suit and accompanies the Iron Friends on their many adventures.”
Riri Williams first appeared in the MCU in Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” where she was played by Dominique Thorn. Thorn will also reprise his role in the live-action series “Ironheart.” Meanwhile, ‘Iron Man and His Friends’ will feature Mason Blomberg as Tony Stark, Capri Ladd as Riri Williams, and Aiden Arn as Amadeus Cho.
‘Awesome Friends’ follows the mold of the 2021 series ‘Spidey and His Amazing Friends,’ which was also released under the Disney Junior label. The show featured child versions of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacey, and Miles Morales, all Spider-People taking part in gentle adventures. Tony Stark also appeared in the series, but was played by John Stamos. ‘Awesome Friends’ has nothing to do with ‘Amazing Friends’.
Teens in the 2010s loved Marvel’s big screen superheroes, but they wouldn’t have been as appealing if they weren’t given the opportunity to root for them in their childhood through comics, cartoons, and kid-friendly fun. “Awesome Friends” reminds us that characters like Iron Man and Ironheart should start with children.
