Who Is the Mystery Teen in ‘Endgame’ and Why Is He Important?

Here’s an Avengers: Endgame nugget you might have missed.

Robert Downey Jr in a still from Avengers: Endgame.

(Photo Courtesy: Youtube screengrab)

<SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame in this story!>

So now that it’s almost been a week since Avengers: Endgame hit theatres and our hearts and almost everybody has had a chance to watch the behemoth, we can finally get to discussing the film’s end and some of its mysteries.

One of the joys of Endgame is playing a game of who’s who and spotting the numerous cameos in the film harkening back to 11 years and 22 films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Apart from the epic final battle, Tony Stark’s funeral plays like a page of Where’s Waldo with seemingly every character from the MCU appearing to pay their respects to the fallen Iron Man. However, one mysterious person at the funeral had baffled even the nerdiest of Marvel geeks.

It’s the completely normal-looking teenager in the midst of superheroes and aliens who you either missed completely or left you scratching your heads. Well, we’re here to tell you exactly who he is. That kid is none other than Harley Keener a.k.a. the young boy from Iron Man 3 (played by Ty Simpkins.)

Let us brush your memory. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark crash lands in Tennesee with his suit severely damaged. He comes across Harley Keener’s shed which the boy has converted into a makeshift science workshop. Turns out Harley is a young wiz kid who helps Tony fix his suit and also solve the central mystery of the movie.

Ty Simpkins and Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 3.(Photo Courtesy: Marvel)

Harley is a smart alec who is memorable for being the first time Tony gets to interact with a young kid and play surrogate dad (before he meets Peter Parker.) At the end of IM 3, Tony presents Harley with a state-of-the-art workshop as a thank-you but we don’t see the teen again till Endgame.

So yes, it make sense that the young boy Tony inspired and spent some good time with will be there at Iron Man’s funeral. But Marvel fans think this appearance means something more. In the comics, the Iron Man mantle has been passed on from Tony Stark to many other people. So it’s very possible that in the movies, Harley could put on the suit and become the new Iron Man.

The filmmakers of Endgame were asked about this fan theory and refused to confirm or deny what their plans were for Iron Man and Harley in the future.

Avengers: Endgame released on 26 April and has broken tons of box-office records across the world and in India. The film stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chis Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd and many more.