Marvel’s Ironheart finally landed on Disney+ this week, putting genius Black teen inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) center stage. And while fans were celebrating Black girl magic in full force, some white male content creators decided to clown instead of clap.
The six-part miniseries, which dropped its first three episodes this week, follows the story of Riri Williams, a genius-level inventor from the South Side of Chicago played by Dominique Thorne. Introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri now takes center stage in her own series, navigating grief, engineering genius, and street-level danger, all while rocking a homemade iron suit that even Tony Stark might nod at.
But the glow-up wasn’t enough for some.
A now-viral video clip showed a group of white male podcasters mocking the show’s use of hip-hop, ridiculing Riri’s background, and laughing at the mention of her having a stepdad. One even cracked an off-key joke about what her AI assistant might be named, tossing out names like “Shenaynay” and “T’Wanda Man.”
The backlash was immediate and fiery.
Black Twitter pulled no punches, calling out the podcast crew for what many saw as racially charged disrespect disguised as “critique.” Users lit up the timeline with receipts, memes, and sharp commentary, defending Riri’s story and calling the jokes out as lazy stereotypes aimed at diminishing a groundbreaking Black female lead.
One of the strongest clapbacks came from TikTok user @screened_scored, whose passionate response is now being shared across platforms. In the video, he breaks down the real issue: “That wasn’t criticism. That was straight-up mockery, not just of Ironheart, but of Black culture, Black families, and Black identity.”
He went on to check the panel’s smug tone. He accused them of not caring about quality storytelling but rather hoping Ironheart fails purely because it centers on a young Black girl. “You hear a Black girl mention her stepdad, and your first instinct is to laugh?” he asked. “You’re not trying to educate. You’re trying to humiliate.”
In response to the hate, many fans are rallying around the series, encouraging people to stream Ironheart not because it’s perfect but because it’s necessary.
As @screened_scored perfectly put it: “Riri Williams matters. Her story deserves to be told. Representation like this matters to kids growing up in a world still full of this kind of trash.”
If Marvel can make us care about a talking raccoon and a tree with a three-word vocabulary, a show about a brilliant Black girl in armor shouldn’t be a stretch.
Ironheart is streaming now on Disney+. And if the hate means anything, it’s already making an impact.
