The potential of Kang the Conqueror as a character is immense, and Marvel seems to be well aware of that. One of many possible storylines relating to what will be the main villain of the Multiverse Saga is the introduction of Iron Lad, and we’ve thought up of the perfect casting for the Young Avenger: none other than Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin.
For those who might not be familiar with the character, Iron Lad aka Nathaniel Richards is essentially the past-self of Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel comics. When Kang time travels and visits a 16 year-old Nathaniel in the hopes he can convince him to start on his mission of conquering the entire universe earlier than he had done, he shows young Nathaniel what he will become. Kang’s plan totally backfires when instead of being impressed, Nathaniel is horrified by what he’s shown.
Nathaniel then travels across the multiverse to Earth-616 in an attempt to protect himself from Kang with the help of the Avengers after deciding to renounce his destiny. The Avengers have disbanded, or are scattered, much like the MCU’s current landscape. Instead, Nathaniel finds a database of possible successors for the Avengers made by Vision, who he decides to track down and bring together, formally creating the Young Avengers, and becoming Iron Lad. What do you know — most of the members of Young Avengers have been introduced in the MCU already too!
Marvel has gathered all the pieces of the puzzle needed to make Iron Lad a thing, and there is still a chance he could be introduced as early as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, maybe as a surprise appearance, or even as a cameo in the franchise’s usual post-credits teasers. The Quantum Realm was used by the Avengers in Endgame to travel back in time to both gather and restore the Infinity Stones, and it could be used by Kang to meet his past-self in this film, too.
As the man (teenager?) responsible for bringing the next generation of Avengers to the MCU, Iron Lad could be a really important character in the future of the superhero universe, and thus should be cast accordingly.
One of the biggest rising stars working today, Caleb McLaughlin has recently expressed interest in making a superhero movie. His sights are set on DC’s Static Shock, but he’s already said he’s up for playing Marvel’s Miles Morales, too, for which he is one of the most popular fancasts.
We’re not sure Marvel has Miles Morales is the books right now, seeing as Sony is going all out with their Miles-centered Spider-Verse series, and Tom Holland still has a lot to bring as this generation’s Spider-Man. But, hey, if McLaughlin really is looking for a superhero project, and with how likely Iron Lad’s addition to the MCU is, given the franchise’s present and future panorama, the solution seems pretty clear to us!
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania comes out February 17.