Ironheart Revealed A Major Link To The Iron Man Trilogy, And I Love How It Ties Into One Of The Show's Biggest Themes

Major spoilers for the first three episodes of Marvel’s Ironheart lie ahead, so you’ve been warned, true believers!

Riri Williams is back, as Ironheart finally made its debut amid the 2025 TV schedule. This week, Disney+ subscription holders were treated to the first three episodes of the limited series, and they’re packed with some significant developments. Among those plot points is the reveal of a very big connection between the show and the Iron Man mythology. Yes, Riri Williams has her own suit of armor, which mirrors that of the late Tony Stark. However, there’s an even bigger link that ties the show to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first flick.

One Of Ironheart’s Main Characters Has Ties To A Familiar Face

During the second episode, “Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up?”, Dominique Thorne’s Riri becomes acquainted with Joe McGillicuddy, an eccentric man played by Alden Ehrenreich. Riri enlists Joe’s services when seeking out black market tech for her suit ahead of a heist with Parker Robbins’ crew. Williams and McGillicuddy form an unlikely friendship of sorts, though it’s later discovered that Joe is hiding a big secret from Riri – and it involves his deceased father.

Riri visits Joe again in the third installment, “We In Danger, Girl,” and she discovers a bag of ashes in a jar in his kitchen, and the bag is marked Obadiah S. After a bit of probing from Riri, Joe reveals that his father was none other than Obadiah Stane, the late Stark Industries exec who tried to kill Tony Stark and take his technology in 2008’s Iron Man. With that, Joe also confirms that his birth name is Ezekiel Stane.

There had long been speculation that Ironheart cast member Alden Ehrenreich may be playing “Zeke,” and those who assumed that should be patting themselves on the back right about now. Needless to say, this is a major piece of connective MCU tissue – one that may delight longtime fans of the comics and the cinematic universe. However, it’s not solely done here for fan service, as it also smartly ties into one of the series’ biggest themes.

How The Joe McGillicuddy Reveal Plays Into One Of This MCU Show’s Biggest Ideas

Ahead of Ironheart’s premiere, I assumed that the concept of legacy was going to factor into the show in a significant way, and I was right. The obvious way in which the writers do this is by focusing on Riri’s attempts to carve out her own path without the guidance of Tony Stark while also standing in his massive shadow. Before Williams are both the paths of a hero and that of a common criminal. This is something I appreciate about the show, but I’m also pleasantly surprised by how it connects to Zeke (or Joe).

Zeke makes it clear right away that he’s done his best to distance himself from Obadiah, who he knows tried to kill Stark years prior. What really makes that tough for the younger Stane internally is that to the rest of the world, “Obie” was a generous and philanthropic businessman who had nothing but altruistic ideas about technology. I not only appreciate this subplot, but I also love the dichotomy between Zeke trying to avoid Obadiah’s memory as Riri inches closer to Stark’s. On top of all that, this arc makes the MCU’s version of Zeke a bit more multidimensional, as his comic book counterpart is a straightforward villain.

Having seen all six episodes of this MCU show, I can say that Joe has an interesting arc that plays out throughout the latter half. I’m definitely not going to divulge any of those details here, so you’ll just have to wait and see what goes down. What I will do, however, is give kudos to the writers for circling back around to a classic Iron Man plot thread and finding something genuinely interesting to do with it.

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Fans can watch Ironheart’s first three episodes now on Disney+, while the latter three installments will hit the streamer on Tuesday, July 1 at 9 p.m. ET. Also, do yourself a favor and stay in the know when it comes to upcoming Marvel shows.