Ironheart Reveals Joe’s True Identity as Obadiah Stane’s Son Zeke

The first three episodes of Disney+’s Ironheart series introduce Riri Williams, a genius MIT student who gets expelled after a dangerous experiment. Returning home to Chicago, Riri allies with various characters, including Parker Robbins (The Hood) and Joe McGillicuddy, a fellow tech genius. However, Joe’s true identity is revealed in episode three as Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Stane, the son of Iron Man’s villain, Obadiah Stane. Zeke had kept this a secret from Riri, and only later does he confide in her after she accidentally discovers a Zip-Lok bag containing his father’s ashes. Zeke’s father, Obadiah, was believed to have died in a plane crash during a failed attempt to kill Tony Stark, but Zeke reveals that this was a cover story, and Obadiah died trying to kill Stark. Zeke has spent years avoiding his father’s supervillain legacy and choosing a different path. The revelation adds complexity to his character and opens up potential for future storylines, especially with Alden Ehrenreich’s performance as Zeke, which may extend beyond Ironheart. Fans are curious to see if Zeke survives the current season of the series.