3 Marvel TV shows you have to watch before Ironheart 

Ironheart, set to be released on Disney+ on June 24, 2025, is not really a standalone series. While some Marvel shows like Moonknight do not require knowledge of the past Marvel projects for viewers to enjoy them, you need to watch a few shows and films before you watch Ironheart.

Marvel's description of Ironheart states:

'Set after the events of 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', Marvel Television’s 'Ironheart' pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne)—a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka 'The Hood' (Anthony Ramos).'

Thus, you need to know about everything Riri Williams and everything magic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before you watch Ironheart. You should definitely watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before you watch the upcoming show featuring Riri Williams, but other than that, you also need to watch three shows.

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3 Marvel shows you cannot skip before watching Ironheart

It might sound like a stretch, but if you want to watch Ironheart, you will have to watch every show in Marvel that has dealt with magic. Thus, brush up on What If...?, WandaVision, and She-Hulk before you start the new show.

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What If...?

What If...? explores alternate timelines and how certain events might have worked out differently. Based on the Marvel comic of the same name, the show is from the perspective of the Watcher, who sees the different outcomes unfurl.

In season three, episode five, What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?, we see Riri Williams in a different timeline. After Earth’s destruction by the Emergence, Quentin Beck seizes Stark Industries and forms the Iron Federation to control survivors. Riri Williams joins an "Alliance" led by Wong and others to stop him.

After defeating Vision, she becomes a hybrid using his parts. Infiltrating Beck’s base, she’s trapped by his illusions. With help from the Watcher, she resists, kills Beck by draining his nanites, and inspires hope by projecting the Avengers symbol. While Riri's story in Ironheart will not be like it was in What If...?, given it's a different timeline, you can still watch it, in case the upcoming show has any easter eggs.

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WandaVision

Released in 2021, WandaVision is set merely days after Endgame (2019) and shows that Wanda and Vision are living happily together in Westview, New Jersey. While it seems like marital bliss, Wanda and Vision's lives seem so perfect, but the truth comes out eventually. While the show does not introduce or refer to Riri Williams, it shares two aspects.

Wanda is Scarlet Witch, someone with the unimaginable power of magic. Since Ironheart will heavily deal with magic, as hinted by its two trailers, WandaVision is a necessary watch to understand the intensity with which magic is used in the MCU. Besides, Vision is a creation of Tony Stark, from whom Riri Williams drew inspiration for her suit. While Riri is set out to create her own identity, both she and Vision are different facets of Stark's legacy being carried on.

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She-Hulk

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which came out in 2022, follows Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who works on cases involving superheroes. She then becomes the huge green superhero She-Hulk. In episodes three, four, and nine, we see Supreme Sorcerer Wong go after Donny Blaze, a stage magician who sent Madisynn King to another dimension by opening up a portal. There, Madisynn met a demon called Jake and made a pact with him, about which Jake told her not to tell anyone.

Wong went after Blaze because he was a student of Kamar-Taj, but was expelled, and was now misusing his powers. While we do not see Riri Williams in this show, it does explore magic and its portrayal and connections to other characters across the MCU. Watching She-Hulk will further make you aware of even the most minute event involving magic and demons, and might help you understand the upcoming show better.

What If...?, WandaVision, and She-Hulk are streaming on Disney+. Ironheart releases on June 24, 2025 on Disney+.

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