‘Ironheart’ Twist Reveals One Key Character Is Obadiah Stane’s Son Connecting the Show to The First ‘Iron Man’ Movie

Marvel’s Ironheart just kicked off with its first three episodes, and the show already dropped a major twist. The new series follows Riri Williams as she deals with the aftermath of Wakanda Forever, and her journey quickly connects back to one of the MCU’s earliest villains.

Riri has been kicked out of MIT for breaking the rules while trying to fund her tech project. With limited options, she ends up working for The Hood, a gang leader with shady jobs that pay well but break the law. To get the tech she needs, she starts hunting down black-market tech dealers. One of them is a quiet guy who goes by the name “Joe McGillicuddy.”

At first, Joe seems harmless, but it turns out he’s been dealing in some pretty serious illegal tech. He’s careful, secretive, and admits he’s doing all of this partly because of his father. But he doesn’t share much more, until Riri finds something in his cupboard that changes everything.

Editor’s Note: The following section contains major spoilers for Ironheart, and some for Iron Man (yes, the 2008 one, in case you’ve somehow missed it). Read on at your own risk.

She discovers a bag of ashes with the name “Obadiah S.” on it. That’s when Riri figures it out: Joe is actually Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane, Iron Man’s first enemy. In the original Iron Man movie, Obadiah was Tony Stark’s business partner who secretly plotted to have him killed and later built his own suit, becoming the Iron Monger. He was ultimately defeated and killed by Tony.

In Ironheart, Zeke confirms his identity and says his father didn’t die in a plane crash like some believed. Instead, he died trying to destroy Tony. This brings Riri’s story full circle, connecting it directly to the roots of the MCU.

Although Riri isn’t meant to replace Iron Man, the show now clearly draws parallels between their paths. Both are young geniuses, both build high-tech suits, and now both have crossed paths with the Stane legacy.

Even before the show came out, rumors had pointed to the appearance of Iron Monger’s son, and those rumors were right. Zeke’s future is now uncertain, though. After Riri loses an important piece of tech during a failed mission, Zeke could be exposed to the authorities. He warned Riri this might happen, and now it’s unclear if he’ll try to protect her or save himself.

Bringing back a connection to Obadiah Stane was a smart move. It gives longtime MCU fans something to latch onto while setting up new storylines. Whether Zeke becomes an ally or a threat later on could be key to Ironheart’s future. What do you think about this reveal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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