The MCU’s upcoming Armor Wars movie is the ideal place to introduce Kang the Conqueror’s youngest and most heroic variant, the Young Avenger Iron Lad.
The best place to introduce Kang the Conqueror’s last multiversal variant in the MCU is the upcoming Armor Wars movie. Kang the Conqueror has been unleashed in the MCU, and his multiversal variants are ready to wreak havoc in the Multiverse Saga. After the events of Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, many of these Kang variants could start appearing in various MCU movies and shows. However, there is still no sign of one Kang variant that may be key to the franchise.
In Marvel Comics, Iron Lad is Nathaniel Richards’ youngest variant, a hero from the future who travels back in time to prevent himself from becoming Kang the Conqueror. Taking Iron Man as inspiration, Iron Lad modifies his suit to resemble Tony Stark’s Iron Man armors and becomes an active superhero in the present day. Now that He Who Remains, Kang the Conqueror, Immortus, Rama Tut, Victor Timely, and the rest of the Council of Kangs have been introduced, Iron Lad could make his debut in the MCU’s Armor Wars.
How Armor Wars Can Introduce Iron Lad
The Council of Kangs’ awakening after Kang the Conqueror’s defeat at the hands of the Ant-Family in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could lead a young Nathaniel Richards variant to seek refuge in the MCU’s 616 universe before his villainous variants get a change to unleash chaos across the multiverse. Knowing the legendary status Tony Stark acquired for defeating Thanos, this still missing Kang variant could draw inspiration from Iron Man to model his heroic persona and prove his benevolent motivations to the present-day heroes. The best moment to achieve this is during Armor Wars, when Iron Man tech may be up for grabs.
Marvel’s original Armor Wars storyline sees Tony Stark fight a group of armored villains who use his tech for nefarious purposes. In the MCU, one of the people who get a hold of Stark technology may be a young Nathaniel Richards, who could work with James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine to fight those who have more selfish goals with the tech. Alternatively, Iron Lad could be introduced after the events of Armor Wars, in a post-credits scene, where he can end up with one of the last surviving suits of Iron Man armor once he arrives from the future.
Iron Lad’s Possible Future After Armor Wars
Iron Lad could become a crucial MCU character, as he would be the hero with the most knowledge about Kang the Conqueror besides Ant-Man. Iron Lad could fight alongside the Avengers in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, and he could also help assemble the Young Avengers, which he creates and leads in the source material. Apart from the Kree-Skrull hybrid Hulkling, Iron Lad is the last member of the Young Avengers that hasn’t been introduced in the MCU yet, so having him debut in Armor Wars could finish setting up a Young Avengers project as well.
