Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Ironheart Episodes 1-3.
The MCU has helped launch the careers of several young stars over the years. The biggest example is Tom Holland being cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Before he was signed on to play Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, Holland only had a few notable films like Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty and The Impossible alongside Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. After a much wider audience witnessed his talent in the MCU, Holland became a hot commodity in Hollywood, and the cycle is continuing for the next set of young actors in the MCU.
After Dominique Thorne debuted as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she is already firing on all cylinders with an emotional performance in Ironheart. The heart of the latest MCU series is Riri’s dynamic with her best friend, Natalie Washington (Lyric Ross). Riri is still dealing with the loss of Natalie and her step-dad, Gary Williams (LaRoyce Hawkins), after they were accidentally shot during a drive-by shooting. Because Riri can’t forget that tragic day, she unintentionally makes a new AI known as N.A.T.A.L.I.E. While we know that N.A.T.A.L.I.E. isn’t a real person, watching the AI almost be an exact replica of Riri’s best friend is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Ross is already a pro at delivering such a powerful performance after playing a big role in one of the saddest shows of the decade.
‘Ironheart’s Lyric Ross Had a Breakout Performance in ‘This Is Us’
While This Is Us focused on the lives of the Pearson family, it made sure to highlight their loved ones and make each of them feel impactful and beloved. Introduced as a recurring role in Season 2, Episode 3, “Déjà Vu”, Deja (Ross) is a child whom Randall and Beth Pearson fostered after her mom, Shauna Andrews (Joy Brunson), was placed under arrest. Flashbacks showed that the police found a gun in Shauna’s car, which belonged to her problematic boyfriend, Lonzo (Reynaldo Gallegos), but since she couldn’t prove it, she was arrested, and Deja was placed in the foster system. Before Deja and Shauna were separated, Shauna struggled to make ends meet as a young, single mom. Deja stepped up and became the adult in the situation by trying to budget for food and help her mom pay the bills on time.
At just 14 years old, Ross demonstrated great complexity as Deja. While she initially seemed cold to the Pearson family, she gradually lowered her walls after feeling safe in their home, a sensation she wasn’t accustomed to during her time in the foster system. Considering how talented an actress Ross is, it’s not surprising that Deja was the central character of the entire This Is Us installment (Season 2, Episode 17 “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life”), which was the first time an episode didn’t focus on the main Pearson family. Ross was a welcome addition to the show and already felt like a natural part of the original cast.
Deja Pearson Is One of the Best ‘This Is Us’ Characters
After a stellar performance, Ross was promoted to the main cast in This Is Us Season 3 and fit in with the rest of the stars as if she were there from the very beginning. Her chemistry with everyone she interacts with feels so authentic. When Randall and Beth attempt to adopt Deja into the family after Shauna signs away her parental rights, Deja finds and confronts her biological father in Season 3, Episode 1, “Nine Bucks.” Showcasing her maturity, she tells him that she’s come to terms that both her parents are choosing not to raise her, but she’s grateful to have found a new family who finds her “exceptional.” It’s a big moment that shows that Deja isn’t afraid to have the tough conversations, while also showing how much she loves and appreciates the Pearson family.
It’s hard to imagine what This Is Us would be without Deja, given the significant impact she has on the show. She’s a big part of Randall and Beth’s story as Randall considered adopting a young boy to recreate how his parents took him in and gave him a happy life. However, it was Beth who suggested they consider taking in someone older, allowing Randall to honor both of his fathers’ legacies by welcoming someone who came from a broken home, like Jack did, and would be overlooked by society, as William Hill was (Ron Cephas Jones). Even though Deja was not at all related to Randall or Beth, she carried the best parts of them, which is extremely heartwarming to watch. It’s sometimes easy to forget that Deja is still a teenage girl, considering her level of maturity. But when she ended up falling in love with a young man, Malik Hodges (Asante Blackk), it was cute to see her in love and navigate that relationship, as Malik was raising a baby daughter. It brought a completely new dynamic to the show, presenting itself as an alternate version of what her life could have been.
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Lyric Ross Is Amazing as Natalie in ‘Ironheart’
Not long after This Is Us ended, Ross was cast in the MCU as Natalie Washington/N.A.T.A.L.I.E., who is arguably one of the best characters on the show. The dynamic between Ross and Thorne is truly like watching best friends together. While the MCU has shown how AIs like J.A.R.V.I.S., later Vision (Paul Bettany), and E.D.I.T.H. (Dawn Michelle King) can be a fun character for the protagonist to bounce dialogue off of, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. is the most like a real person. Seeing how she’s able to calm Riri down like an actual human would is an interesting commentary on the power of AI. Although Riri is struggling to come to terms with Natalie’s death, having her AI be a recreation of her best friend might help her through the grieving process.
With Ross taking on this vital role in Ironheart and absolutely doing an amazing job of it, a much wider audience is being introduced to her talent as an actress. Hopefully, they’ll want to see more of Ross’ work and decide to tune into This Is Us to see how she’s already been acting at a high level as Deja Pearson. With more people checking out her talent, it could lead to even more exciting opportunities for Ross’ career. She definitely deserves to grab the spotlight and be the lead character of a project.
This Is Us is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
