Could we see Iron Lad show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point down the line? If so, there's already a very good candidate hanging around ready to play the character. Ty Simpkins first appeared alongside Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in Iron Man 3. It has remained unclear if we'd ever see his character Keener again in the MCU. While that question has been answered, we're left to wonder if he'll have a more significant role to play in the future. Simpkins, for his part, is ready and waiting.
Waring: spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. At the end of the movie we see a huge crowd gathered at Tony Stark's funeral. At one point, the camera lingers on a teenager many didn't recognize, at least not at first. It turns out this was Harley Keener, who has grown up a lot since we last saw him. That opened the door for his possible return, perhaps in a more significant way, down the line.
With Iron Man gone, the world will need a successor. Spider-Man: Far From Home will address whether or not Peter Parker is up to the task. But what about Iron Lad? The character was introduced in the comics in 2005, courtesy of writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung. Tony even left Harley a suit in Iron Man 3. It would seem the seeds are planted. During a recent interview, Ty Simpkins was asked if he'd be down to play Iron Lad, and his answer was a resounding yes.
"Yes, 100%. I would love that!"
For those who may not be familiar, Iron Lad, aka Nathaniel Richards, is a member of the Young Avengers and has deep ties to the Fantastic Four. He also has a rather interesting backstory. He's actually the young version of villain Kang the Conqueror, who time-traveled to stop an incident from happening to his younger self. Kang shows his younger self all of his evil conquests throughout time in hopes of inspiring the younger Nathaniel to go on to be just as successful, if not more so. It backfires and, instead, Nathaniel tries to avoid his eventual destiny and becomes Iron Lad.
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That means there could be an evil element to this turn for Ty Simpkins, should he take on the role. It also means the MCU would have to change the character backstory a bit to make it fit. But that's certainly possible. Either way, even if he has to play a villain in order to suit up as Iron Lad, the actor is on board.
"I'd do it, I'd do it. Without a doubt."
Some have already begun to theorize that Kang the Conqueror could be one of the next big baddies in Phase 4 of the MCU. So who knows? Maybe we'll see someone else in the armor sooner rather than later. And maybe that person will be a familiar face. This news was first reported by IGN.
