Before she was flying around as Ironheart, Dominique Thorne once auditioned to play Shuri in the original Black Panther. Yup, T’Challa’s sister and fan-favorite Wakandan tech genius who helped change the game for women in the MCU.
There’s actual footage out there of Dominique reading lines with Chadwick Boseman. And while the role ultimately went to Letitia Wright, Dominique clearly left a lasting impression.
Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore said it best in Assembled: The Making of Black Panther:
“Dominique actually auditioned for the role of Shuri in the first movie. And we really liked her, she was really smart, and she had a great presence, and she was funny, and she had a lot of attitude. But we remembered that audition. And so when we decided to put Riri Williams into Wakanda Forever, she was the first and only call.”
But it gets even better. Dominique isn’t just talented, her story off-screen might be even more inspiring.
The daughter of Trinidadian and Barbadian immigrants, she became the first in her family to go to college, recently graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Human Development. This isn’t just someone playing a genius; she’s actually one.
And now here she is, stepping into one of Marvel’s most exciting new roles as Riri Williams, the MIT prodigy and heir apparent to Iron Man’s legacy.
It’s not lost on us how beautifully aligned all of this feels. A young Black woman with brains, heart, and vision stepping into a role that’s all about creating your own power, literally and metaphorically.
If Chadwick could’ve seen this, we imagine he would’ve smiled.
