Alden Ehrenreich Introduced Ironheart Star to RDJ

He may not be playing Han Solo any time soon, but Alden Ehrenreich has been cast in Marvel’s upcoming Ironheart series. Though Robert Downey Jr. isn’t expected to make an appearance, he has actually met with star Dominique Thorne, and it was thanks to Ehrenreich.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ehrenreich talks about how he was talking to RDJ about getting advice on getting into a Marvel project. He says, “I just FaceTimed him and was like, ‘Is there something that I need to know before I sign on to this?’ I was like, ‘Is he going to say, “Don’t do it”?’… But Downey didn’t say that.” If you’re wondering how Ehrenreich got connected to Downey, they’re both working together on Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer movie.
Ehrenreich continues talking about how he introduced Thorne to RDJ, saying, “I sort of had the honor of introducing [Downey Jr. and Thorne]. He is so unfuckingbelievably generous and sweet and giving with his time, and he was so happy to talk to her and encourage her.”

Admittedly, it’s odd that we should get Iron Man’s successor without having her meet the actual Iron Man, but the way things are set-up, I think MCU’s Riri Williams will have to be her own hero. Then again, there’s always the chance of Rhodey or Pepper becoming her mentor; but who knows, maybe there’s room for an RDJ cameo somehow.

As for Ehrenreich, I’m still rooting for him to return as Han Solo, but in the meantime, I hope he’ll manage to stand out as the villain of the upcoming Ironheart series.

No release date has been set for Ironheart, but you can catch Riri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.