It’s been a year since Avengers: Endgame first hit theaters, and amongst the many former stars of the MCU it brought back was Ty Simpkins as Harley Keener. Debuting in Iron Man 3, Harley was the first young protege Tony Stark had before Peter Parker came on the scene. We never thought we’d see him again after the threequel, but his brief cameo at Iron Man’s funeral got fans hoping that Harley could have a career as a superhero waiting for him.
Ever since Endgame, Simpkins has been asked whether he’d like to play Iron Lad in the MCU now that the franchise needs a new Armored Avenger. As you’d expect, the Jurassic World star has always reacted positively to the idea. Likewise, in a new chat with ComicBook.com, Keener once again expressed interest in becoming Iron Lad when asked about it.
“I would love that. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I know pretty much as much as you guys. […] but I’m 100% down. I’d love that.”
In the comics, Iron Lad is a very different character from Harley. The original leader of the Young Avengers, it was ultimately revealed that he was a young Kang the Conqueror who had travelled back to the present in a bid to avoid his supervillain fate. Fans of the comic book character are hoping to see Nate Richards brought to the screen himself, but if Marvel did want to take the basic concept of Iron Lad and give it to someone else, then Harley would be the perfect pick.
After all, it’s a fact that the Young Avengers are coming to the MCU soon. Endgame already aged-up Cassie Lang and WandaVision will introduce Wiccan and Speed, just as Hawkeye will do the same for Kate Bishop. But how the studio will tackle a complicated character like Iron Lad remains to be seen. Will they skip over him and give his role on the team to Ironheart instead? That seems a plausible possibility.
Tell us, though, who hopes to see Ty Simpkins return again after Avengers: Endgame as Iron Lad? Have your say in the comments section below.