South SidewriterRashida “Sheedz” Olayiwolahas reportedly joined the cast in the upcoming Marvel Studios’ Disney+ seriesIronheartin a currently undisclosed role, where she will star alongsideDominique Thorne(Judas and the Black Messiah) as the titular hero. The report of her casting comes fromDeadline.
Olayiwola is a comedian that has previously opened for the likes ofArsenio Hall, Hannibal Burress, Aida Rodriguez,andMichael Che, among others. She is also a writer and actress, currently acting as a staff writer on the previously announcedSouth Sideover at HBO Max with other television credits including HBO’sInsecure,A Black Lady Sketch Show, NBC’sChicago P.D., andThe Late Show.
Her other upcoming projects include the new season ofSherman’s Showcasefor IFC and AMC, serving as both a writer and costar, as well as Netflix’s animated remake ofGood Times. Olayiwola will be joining previously announced cast members that include Thorne as well asAnthony Ramos(In the Heights),Alden Ehrenreich(Solo: A Star Wars Story),Manny Montana(Good Girls),Lyric Ross(This Is Us),Harper Anthony,Alden Ehrenreich,Zoe Terakes,Regan Aliyah(XO, Kitty), andRuPaul’s Drag RacewinnerShea Coulée.
RELATED:New ‘Ironheart’ Footage Officially Confirms Anthony Ramos' Magical Villain
Ironheartwill seeChinaka Hodge(Snowpiercer) serve as the series' showrunner as well as a co-writer alongsideEveEwing. The six-episode series will seeSam BaileyandAngela Barnesdirecting withRyan Coogler’s Proximity serving as one of the production companies. Ryan and Zinzi Coogler, Hodge, andSev Ohanianwill serve as executive producers alongside Marvel Studios’Kevin Feige,Louis D’Esposito,Victoria Alonso,Brad Winderbaum, andZoie Nagelhout.
The Ironheart character first made her appearance in 2016 as a part of theInvincible Iron Mancomics, with the upcoming series set to tell the story of the 15-year-old genius named Riri Williams, played by Thorne, who is able to build her own Iron Man suit and sees her becoming the titular hero. Similar to Olayiwola, most of the announced cast members are also having their characters kept under wraps, with the only known role besides Thorne being Ross, who will be playing Williams' best friend, and Ramos as The Hood, a major Marvel antagonist.
First announced in December 2020,Ironheartwill be a part ofPhase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will be kicking off withAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawhich is set to premiere on August 23, 2025. Other projects that are set to be part of the phase include the Disney+ miniseriesSecret Invasion,James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the second season ofLoki, among others.
TheIronheartseries flies onto Disney+ in late 2023. Thorne will make her official debut as Riri Williams in the upcomingBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, arriving in theaters on November 11. Check out the trailer for the upcoming film down below:
