- Riri Williams might have just turned Zeke Stane into a villain.
- She left his bio-mesh behind, which might end up getting traced back to him and could send him down a villainous path where he turns into Iron Monger.
- New episodes for Ironheart release on July 1, 2025.
Ironheart has finally kicked off its run on Disney+, and while the series has managed to win over a fair share of fans, let’s be honest, Riri Williams has made some pretty questionable choices along the way. But among all the things she’s done, there’s one decision in particular that stands out and might come back to haunt her sooner than expected.
In the series, Riri makes a critical mistake that could land Zeke Stane in serious trouble. And if that happens, things could spiral quickly, not just for Zeke, but for Riri herself. So, what exactly did she do that could end up creating a brand-new villain in the MCU? Let’s break it down.
What Did Riri Do to Zeke Stane?
In Ironheart, we see that The Hood is planning a heist, but there’s a catch: his crew, including Riri, can’t take any metal with them inside. So, to sneak in a laser cutter to salvage a piece of Parker’s Hood, Riri borrows Zeke’s bio-mesh and sneaks in while putting her Ironheart suit on autopilot. Now, Zeke does warn her to be extra careful with it since the mesh could be traced back to him, and if that happens, the FBI might come knocking.
But during the heist, things go south. Riri ends up dropping the bio-mesh and leaves it behind. Now that it’s out there, the Feds could easily trace it back to Zeke, putting him in serious trouble. There’s a pretty good chance the authorities’ll take him in in the upcoming episodes—and honestly, this might just be the spark that lights Zeke’s villain arc in the MCU. But for now, all eyes are on what happens next.
How Did Riri Create a New Villain in Ironheart?
So, now that Riri has messed up big time, it’s almost certain the Feds will come knocking on Zeke’s door. But here’s the thing: Zeke is the son of Obadiah Stane, the guy who tried to kill Iron Man using the Iron Monger suit. In the comics, Zeke doesn’t fall far from the tree either.
He eventually turns into a supervillain and even builds his suit of armor, which, believe it or not, can overpower Iron Man’s tech at times. So yeah, there’s a very real chance that this screw-up will be Zeke’s villain origin story, pushing him straight into becoming the MCU’s version of the new Iron Monger.
And here’s the icing on the cake: if you watch the new trailer for Ironheart, there’s a blink-and-you’ll miss-it moment at the 1:45 mark where you can spot a pair of hands crackling with electricity, and it looks like Iron Monger. So, it’s pretty much confirmed that Riri’s mistake just added a serious name to Ironheart’s future villains. Now, all that’s left is to wait until July 1, 2025, and see how things go down as the next batch of Ironheart episodes hit Disney+.
