Marvel’s Eyes of Wakanda is about to introduce a brand-new Iron Fist, and she’s not who fans expected. On Wednesday, actress Jona Xiao officially revealed that she voices an original character named Jorani, a female Iron Fist created specifically for the upcoming Disney+ animated series. The 36-year-old shared the news with her followers on social media, offering a deeper look at her role and what it means to her personally and culturally.

“I play an ancient Iron Fist named Jorani,” Xiao wrote. “Yup, a brand-new character created just for the series—and yep, she’s a woman. Most fans have been excited. Some are outraged.”

Many fans, including myself, initially guessed she might be voicing Wu Ao‑Shi, the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay. Less common guesses included Fan Fei, the Iron Fist of one million B.C., and Fongji Wu, the only character in Marvel Comics to bear both the Iron Fist and the Phoenix Force simultaneously.

But Xiao’s character, Jorani, is entirely original to the MCU. And she has a powerful message about legacy and representation:

“Fun fact: There have always been female Iron Fists in Marvel Comics, like the pirate queen. And the Iron Fist mantle isn’t about gender—it’s about power and legacy. So being the first female Iron Fist in the MCU is huge.”

“Representation isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about unlocking imagination. It’s about what we allow ourselves to believe is possible. Before something can exist, you have to imagine it. But even better than imagining it is seeing it.”

She also reflected on how seeing herself represented might have changed her childhood:

“When I was growing up, I didn’t see many Asian women as warriors, leaders, or legends. I saw them as sidekicks, stereotypes, or missing entirely. Stepping into the role of Iron Fist, this fierce, powerful protector, means I get to be the thing I didn’t see much of growing up.”

“I get to punch holes in old narratives, to expand what strength and femininity look like, and remind every kid watching: your story belongs on screen. Once you see it, you can be it. And now that she’s here, there’s no going back.”

Xiao’s announcement confirmed earlier reports from 2024 that a female Iron Fist would appear in the Eyes of Wakanda animated series. At the time, leakers mistakenly identified the character’s name as “Janora,” but the official reveal shows the character is Jorani, an ancient protector of K’un-Lun and a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Last weekend at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Xiao revealed that she was voicing Iron Fist in Eyes of Wakanda, and she quickly took to social media to share it to her followers.

To celebrate the Jorani reveal, Xiao hosted a Q&A session on her Instagram stories, answering fan-submitted questions about the new Disney+ series, her Marvel journey, and even her surprising athletic background.

Iron Fist Q&A Highlights

As part of her reveal, Xiao hosted a live Q&A on Instagram to answer fans’ questions from Eyes of Wakanda to her past roles and athletic life. Here are the highlights of interest to Iron Fist fans:

Q: How did you land the Iron Fist role?
XIAO: It started with an audition from my agent. Love my team of reps. Shout out to y’all. Then, I did a callback and I was so excited when I found out I booked it. I just didn’t know… I knew it was like this [expletive] martial artist, but I didn’t know it was the Iron Fist until I got the script. And then I was reading it, and I was like—wait a minute (opens mouth in shocked silence)… Yeah, that was the journey.

Q: What was your cut Spider-Man: Homecoming role?
XIAO: I played Gina, who was Marisa Tomei’s assistant at the Daily Bugle. And unfortunately—RIP Gina—she ended up on the cutting room floor. And I told myself, “Okay, next time I book a Marvel project, I will book a large enough role that it’s impossible to get cut from the final product.” And then, I did!

So yeah, very, very grateful to get to play Iron Fist. I hope you all enjoy this version of a really amazing icon.

Q: How does voicing Iron Fist affect your football skills?
XIAO: It impacts everything about being a quarterback. Like, how’s anyone supposed to take down someone that has chi?

Q: Are you voicing Fan Fei?
XIAO: Oh! Someone knows their Marvel Comics! I love it. Yeah, Fan Fei, for those of you who don’t know, is one of multiple female Iron Fists in the Marvel Comics.

I am actually playing Jorani, who is part of a long lineage of K’un-Lun protectors, and she was created specifically for the series. And she’s an ancient Iron Fist.

More Than a Voice Actor: Xiao’s Football Backstory

Jona Xiao isn’t just an actress. She’s also a flag football quarterback and captain of her Los Angeles‑based team, She Unit. She has served as a quarterback in several co-ed flag football leagues, where she stands out as one of the few female players in that position. Aware of the stereotypes women often face in sports, she treats the role with seriousness and drive, pushing herself to perform at a high level to challenge assumptions and prove that female athletes can lead and compete just as strongly as anyone else. She even mentioned jokingly that her Iron Fist role might make her formidable on the field.

Eyes of Wakanda Teasers Posters Released on Tuesday and Wednesday

Alongside the reveal of the Iron Fist character that Xiao is playing in Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Studios also revealed official posters for the series and released two teaser trailers that gave us our first look at Jorani in action.

Eyes of Wakanda Premiere Date

Directed and executive produced by Todd Harris (John Wick, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Eyes of Wakanda follows the Hatut Zaraze, Wakanda’s elite warriors, as they embark on perilous, globe-trotting missions throughout history to recover stolen Vibranium artifacts from the nation’s enemies. 

As an Iron Fist, Jorani’s inclusion adds a new chapter to the K’un-Lun mythology and its connection to the Black Panther lore and the MCU as a whole.

The series premieres exclusively on Disney+ on August 1, 2025.