The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a very big place, spanning both movies and shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. Given just how many stories have been told, there are a number of characters and possible plot points that fans still worry about. That includes Ty Simpkins' s Harley Keener, a kid who helped Tony back in Iron Man 3. Fans haven't forgotten that kid, but I agree with their take on his role in the greater MCU.
Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will remember Iron Man 3's Harley Keener, who created a bond with Iron Man before his final mission. Ty Simpkins reprised his role at Tony's funeral, but some moviegoers thought he might have a bigger role in the future, perhaps as a new Iron Man. Discourse on Twitter tried to set those corners of the fandom straight, offering:
MCU fans I beg of you, we need to let the Iron Man 3 kid go. He was not meant to be Iron Lad, he was just a kid Tony showed compassion too to illustrate the more down to earth side of Iron Man not to set up who is going to inherit the Iron Man mantle lmao
Points were made. Iron Man 3 hit theaters back in 2013, so it's been a full decade since we were briefly introduced to the kid aka Harley Keener. He's yet to factor importantly into any other movies, and is therefore unlikely to become Iron Lad in an upcoming Marvel movie. But hey, some folks are going to just keep their fingers crossed.
As previously mentioned, the character Harley surprisingly appeared in Tony Stark's Avengers: Endgame funeral. Although some moviegoers were left wondering who TF he was, and why he was standing among the Avengers and Guardians. In the same Twitter thread, this brief role was mentioned, with the fan offering:
It was a really cool callback that he showed up for Tony’s funeral, which suggests he did keep in touch with the kid, which I guess you could say 'LEGACY HERO LEGACY HERO' but for me that just shows Tony genuinely cares for the people he helps. Doesn’t need to be more than that.
Ever since Tony's death in Endgame, fans have been debating the future of the mantle of Iron Man. But while some corners of the internet wanted it to be the Iron Man 3 kid, the studio has already begun setting up Stark's replacement.
The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever included Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams aka Ironheart. We watched her genius technological skills, especially after she was given Wakanda's resources. While she had to give that particular suit back, Ironheart is typically a protegee of Iron Man in the comics. Later in that twitter thread, Riri was referenced related to Harley's actual role in the shared universe. It reads:
Especially cuz she already exists as the Iron Man legacy hero and is going hard doing it
Indeed, actress Dominique Thorne is expected to reprise her role in the Ironheart show, which is reading to Disney+. It seems the next Iron Man has been found, in addition to Don Cheadle's ongoing role as War Machine. So Harley really isn't necessary to keep that story going.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Deadpool 3 on July 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
