Disney's "Ironheart" has come and gone, unlikely in the extreme to get a second season, so it must be judged according to what we've got.
There is a lot to dislike about Ironheart, beginning with its overeuse of outdated racial stereotypes that should have gone away in the 70s. The characters are a perfect example of writers who don't know anything about real people...they're writing characters based on characters they've seen in other media.
I couldn't get over the basic premise of the show: A technological genius named Riri Williams can't think of any way to make money except to join a Chicago criminal gang. Other people from the hood with even a smidgen of talent--like athletes and rappers--do better than that.
The writers portray Riri as completely self-interested and unable to accept responsibility for her own actions. She lies to those who love her most, putting family and friends in danger.
Moreover, it seems the writers have a glimmer of this: Halfway through the series, they actually have several characters spell out to her what her problems are, and instead of turning over a new leaf (the usual trope), she doubles down. Ultimately, she literally makes an deal with Marvel's analog of Satan to resurrect the dead friend she can't seem to live without.
It seems to me that the writers intend to tell this story as a classical tragedy of a protagonist eventually dragged to destruction by the inability to overcome their own character flaws.
If not...they're just stupid.
Faust Element | Doctor Faustus (Marlowe/Goethe) | Ironheart (Disney+/Marvel) |
---|---|---|
Gifted, restless genius | Faustus is a brilliant scholar, bored with limits | Riri is a prodigy, surpassing even Tony Stark's intellect |
Desire beyond human limits | Wants ultimate knowledge and power | Desperate to undo death, Riri seeks to defy reality |
Deal with the Devil | Faustus trades his soul for 24 years of power | Riri bargains with Mephisto for the resurrection of a friend |
Rational vs. metaphysical | Torn between theology and necromancy | Riri, an engineer, grapples with science vs. supernatural |
"You won’t miss it" | Faustus is tricked about the real cost | Mephisto’s phrasing mirrors classic demonic manipulation |
Tragic weight | Faustus realizes too late what he’s done | Implicit tragic seed: What did Riri give up unknowingly? |