According to reports, Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (South Side) has joined the cast of the Marvel Studios Disney+ television series Ironheart in an unspecified capacity.
Reps for Marvel declined to comment.
In the six-episode series created by Chinaka Hodge, Dominique Thorne will portray the Marvel character Riri Williams, a genius inventor who created the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Manny Montana, Anthony Ramos, and Shakira Barrera will star in the series. Other cast members that had previously been revealed are Alden Ehrenreich, Shea Couleé, Regan Aliyah, and Zoe Terakes.
The film is being produced by Ryan Coogler’s Proximity, with Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes serving as the directors. Along with Kevin Feige, Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, and Zoie Nagelhout from Marvel Studios, Coogler, Ironheart’s lead writer Chinaka Hodge, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian serve as executive producers.
A staff writer on the HBO Max series South Side, Olayiwola is a comedian, author, and actor. She will be writing and co-starring in the upcoming season of Sherman’s Showcase on IFC/AMC, as well as lending her voice to the series regular “Lashes by Lisa” in the Netflix/Fuzzy Door animated adaptation of Good Times. In addition, after her efforts the previous year, Olayiwola will return to the 2022 BET Awards as a writer.
Other small-screen credits include A Black Lady Sketch Show, NBC’s Chicago P.D., HBO’s Insecure, and The Late Show.
Olayiwola has performed as the opening act for stand-up comedians such as Arsenio Hall, Hannibal Burress, Aida Rodriguez, and Michael Che.
