It may come as a surprise for Black Panther fans to find out that Dominique Thorne, who plays Riri Williams aka Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, originally auditioned for the role of Shuri in Black Panther.
New test screen footage has been revealed, showing Dominique Thorne test screening as Shuri with Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa aka Black Panther in the MCU before sadly passing away in 2020 due to cancer.
Thorne, who is currently 25 years old, originally auditioned for the role of Shuri in the MCU, which later ended up being given to Letitia Wright.
The new footage has been revealed in a special for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with the producer of the movie Nate Moore expressing that Thorne had a “great presence” and was “really smart“ during her original audition.
It is said by Moore in the special that when it came down to introducing Ironheart into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Moore says that “she [Dominique Thorne] was the first and only call.” due to her Shuri screen test.
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Dominique Thorne’s Test Screen With Chadwick Boseman
Dominique Thorne will also be making her first Marvel Studios and Disney Plus series debut, with the 2023 Ironheart series that will further explore her character and most likely tie into a future Young Avengers storyline. Her character’s introduction to the MCU wasn’t an origin story, technically, as she had already built the first prototype of her Ironheart suit prior to the beginning of the movie.
The Disney Plus Ironheart series may dive deeper into both the origin of Riri Williams and further establish her presence in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe outside of the confines of Wakanda. Some other cast members joining Thorne in the Ironheart series include Anthony Ramos, Manny Montana, and Shea Couleé. Ramos will be playing a character called “The Hood” who, if anything like the comics, will most likely serve as the main antagonist.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source: Reddit
