If you’ve been anywhere near an internet connection for the last 15 years, then you’ll know that there are a difference between those who enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and dyed in the wool Marvel fans. The latter have been out in force after one of the most accidentally stupid takes on Iron Man 3 you’ll ever hope to see went viral on Twitter, as you can see below.
Sure, Kevin Feige’s all-conquering franchise is all about the long-term plan when it comes to dropping breadcrumbs, sowing seeds, and planning years in advance, but there is one canyon-sized hole in the logic put forth that MCU veterans instantly began tearing to shreds, especially when the person who posted the initial tweet is one of those social media-savvy folks that lives and breathes pop culture.
Ty Simpkins’ Harley Keener played a huge part in Iron Man 3, and then mysteriously vanished into thin air for the better part of a decade before showing up at Tony Stark’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame, with the passage of time leaving many audiences to wonder who the hell this dude was that got an invite to what might be the single most star-studded scene in the history of cinema.
As pointed out, there’s no way Marvel could have brought in Riri Williams to sit under the Tony Stark learning tree because the character simply didn’t exist yet, with the future Ironheart’s comic book debut not coming until 2016 – three years after Shane Black’s threequel rounded out Robert Downey Jr.’s solo trilogy.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but suggesting Marvel build a time machine to connect Iron Man 3 to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a step too far, even for Feige and his team.
