**HUGE SPOILERS for “Avengers: Endgame” below. You’ve been warned.**
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Okay, so you’ve probably seen the latest ‘Avengers’ film by now, as the box office totals are astronomical. And if you are like most people, you were bawling your eyes out during the end of the film, where it was shown that Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, gave his life to save the world, leading to the most star-studded funeral in history.
But through your tears, you may have wondered who the hell the teenage boy was that was off by himself at the funeral? No one talked to him. He had no lines. In a scene with the biggest names in Hollywood filling up the frame, this one kid sticks out like a sore thumb. Well, in a new interview with Chinese media outlet Youth Circle (via Comicbook.com), director Joe Russo not only spills the beans on who that kid is, but also if he has a future in the MCU.
READ MORE: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ 14 Of The Big Questions Answered
“He is a character in ‘Iron Man 3,’ and he will not appear in the future,” Russo said. “Who knows? We just think that he should attend Iron Man’s funeral. As for his future, I have nothing to say.”
Wonky translation aside, it’s clear that the kid is none other than Harley, played by Ty Simpkins, in Shane Black’s “Iron Man 3.” MCU fans probably remember Harley as the smart kid that Tony comes across when his armor is on the fritz. He’s basically the Robin to Tony Stark’s Batman throughout much of the film. And since his appearance in that film, Harley hasn’t been mentioned and the actor has yet to show up again. Until now.
Obviously, as Russo explained, the inclusion of Simpkins in the funeral scene is a nice callback to the third ‘Iron Man’ film and probably nothing more. It’s unlikely that Marvel Studios was somehow planting seeds for Harley to take over Tony’s role as Iron Man in the future. That’s a stretch, even for a franchise that includes a talking tree and raccoon spaceship pilot.
That being said, having Simpkins reprise his role for the funeral scene adds a bit more emotional weight to a scene that was already making you turn into a blubbering mess. Now, you have the excuse to see the film again. Enjoy!
