Marvel's New Iron Man is a Teenage Black Girl

Move over Tony Stark, Riri Williams is here!

The latest Marvel character is a 15-year-old black girl set to takeover for Tony Stark as Iron Man. According to TIME, Riri Williams is an MIT science genius who builds her own version of Iron Man’s suit in her dorm. Creator and Iron Man writer Brian Michael Bendis spoke to TIME and expressed hope that Williams will add to Marvel’s growing diverse universe.

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Bendis said that reactions to the new character have mostly been positive, but the writer is aware of those naysayers who don’t want things to change. “Some of the comments online, I don’t think people even realize how racist they sound. I’m not saying if you criticize you’re a racist, but if someone writes, “Why do we need Riri Williams we already have Miles?” that’s a weird thing to say. They’re individuals just like Captain America and Cyclops are individuals. All I can do is state my case for the character, and maybe they’ll realize over time that that’s not the most progressive thinking.”

Riri Williams will be introduced as the new Iron Man at the end of the current comic series, Civil War II.

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