Upcoming animated series Eyes of Wakanda is set to feature a Marvel character MCU fans had thought done and dusted: Iron Fist.
The first episode of the series premiered at the Annecy Animation Festival on June 9 and director Todd Harris opened up about some key details during a post-screening Q&A. The director first revealed that the series is “anthology adjacent” with 30 minute-long episodes. There will be four episodes in total, making up a total of two hours of stories.
According to Harris, those stories will be “hop-scotching through centuries” and as “mostly a spy story,” they will focus on stolen Wakandan technology that must be retrieved.
The first episode, which is titled “Into the Lion’s Den,” does some serious time-traveling right off the bat, bringing us to 1260 BC in a story where a woman named Noni (Winnie Harlow), a former Dora Milaje with a tense past, pursues a man known simply as Lion (Cress Williams). According to a synopsis from Variety, the character is a pirate leader who stole Wakandan tech to start his own kingdom.
That said, the most important tidbit Harris revealed during the Q&A was that there will be Marvel characters we know and love popping up throughout these different periods of time that tie everything together — with one exciting inclusion: Iron Fist. Though Harris noted: “There will be an Iron Fist in here, and not the Iron Fist you expect.”
The 2017 Iron Fist Netflix series starring Finn Jones was fairly divisive at the time and didn’t go anywhere past its two season run, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see this being looked at as a chance to revive the character under a clean slate for Marvel Studios. And theoretically, one could even hypothesize that Harris’ decision to highlight that we would not be getting the Iron Fist we’d expect hints that the Danny Rand alter ego might not even be part of this new story.
The character’s heroic role is part of a century-spanning legacy in the comics, so this anthology format might just be the perfect way for the MCU to start anew with Iron Fist and expand the character’s on-screen lore.
In March, Iron Fist actor Finn Jones threw his hat back in the MCU ring, declaring: “I’m here and I’m ready.” Jones last played Danny Rand seven years ago in Season 2 of the Iron Fist Netflix series and in The Defenders, which saw the martial arts master team up with Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter).
Jones’ take on Iron Fist didn’t go down as well with fans as the other Defenders characters, leaving some to wonder whether Marvel might leave Iron Fist out of its future MCU plans. But Daredevil’s comeback in the MCU post-Netflix has raised hopes for a continuation of The Defenders, and recent reports indicated Marvel was “exploring” the idea.
At the recent anime convention, LaConve, in Monterrey, NL, Mexico, Jones acknowledged criticism of his portrayal of Iron Fist, but asked fans and Marvel to give him a chance.
“[There is a] willingness for the fans to see that happen,” Jones told the audience at the convention when asked if he could return as Iron Fist. “There’s a lot of willingness for the fans to see that not happen as well. I’m very aware of the critiques of the character and my role in it.
“My response to that is like, give me a f***ing chance, man. I’m here and I’m ready. I want to prove people wrong. So I would love to see that happen.”
Eyes of Wakanda is set to premiere on Disney+ on August 6, 2025.
Image credit: Marvel.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
