REVIEW: Riri Williams is a Great Addition to the Marvel Rising Universe

Moving out of one’s comfort zone and trusting others may be the biggest themes in Marvel Rising’s new animated special, Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron. The 44-minute special introduces Riri Williams (voiced by Sofia Wylie) to the Marvel Rising universe. Riri is having a hard time adjusting to college life and after the death of her stepfather,she closes herself off from creating relationships. Riri only truly trusts her A.I., A.M.I. When A.M.I is kidnapped, Riri must work with the Secret Warriors to get her friend back and may even make some new friends along the way.

The nice thing about the Marvel Rising specials is they are quick, to the point, and contain a lot of laughs. They don’t get stuck in trying to develop secondary plots, but instead focus on one main plot from beginning to end. A welcome addition, notably in this film, is the theme of girl power. This special shows how women, no matter the interest, can do whatever they want.

Riri is a welcome addition to the universe and is fun add to the Secret Warriors. Her relationship with Squirrel Girl (voiced by Miana Vayntrub) is one of the more enjoyable parts of the episode because Squirrel Girl does not take “no” as an answer easily. Sofia was the perfect voice for this role and, hopefully, this will not be the last we see of her.

Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron will air on YouTube at 4pm PT today, April 3, so make sure to tune in. After watching, hit the comments below to let us know what you thought of the special.

Grade: B+