Since the most unsettling aspect about Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror is that he can never truly be killed, MCU thus appears pumped to unleash multiple versions of the same villain throughout Phase Five. According to Marvel Comics, a variant of Kang can pop up at any time for any reason, and Marvel is willing to go along with these variants in upcoming projects.

This led people to wonder if a Kang variant has always been present in the MCU timeline, which prompted people to speculate Iron Man 3 character Harley Keener turned into Iron Lad, a variant of Kang. Unfortunately, considering the actor Ty Simpkins who played Keener was racially white, there appeared a casting conflict. Now, Marvel seems to be allegedly race-swapping the major superhero with Isaiah Hill, to fit in as the Kang variant.

Harley Keener Might Turn into Iron Lad to Play Jonathan Majors’ Kang Variant

Jonathan Majors significantly laid the groundwork for Marvel’s ultimate big bad villain Kang the Conqueror following his appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Disney’s Loki. But now that Marvel is willing to play with his variants, considering the fact that his character can never truly be killed, there appear a number of speculations surrounding the variants.

With Marvel planning on turning Kang the Conqueror into a major threat to superheroes in upcoming Phases, the Studio seems to planning on moving forward with variants of the villainous character. This brought people to wonder who might turn into a Kang variant, or if any one of his variants has been present in the saga the whole time.

This intriguing possibility presented a specific theory that suggests that Harley Keener might become Iron Lad, who traditionally appeared as a young variant of Kang, in the Marvel comics. Considering Keener’s acquaintance with Tony Stark from Iron Man 3, who reappeared during the funeral in Avengers: Endgame, the character  as the possibility of becoming a time-traveling version of Nathaniel Richards’ Iron Lad.

This particular time loop might turn Harley Keener into Iron Lad, and eventually a Kang variant in waiting. Further, since Iron Lad first appeared in Young Avengers #1, and the MCU is developing a Young Avengers movie, fans believe Keener’s character might be revealed as a time-traveling Iron Lad who is a Kang variant.

Marvel Might Race-Swap Iron Lad with Isaiah Hill for Young Avengers 

However, this particular theory about Harley Keener becoming Iron Lad and a Kang variant sparked controversies among fandom, since Iron Man 3 being true to its comic roots introduced Keener as white, played by Ty Simpkins. But now, considering Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror was racially Black, the upcoming variants of his character are thus supposed to be from the same race.

Therefore, even if Ty Simpkins’ Harley Keener becomes Iron Lad, he will never be accepted as a Kang variant. Although as per comics, Nathaniel Richards’ Iron Lad was racially white and became a Kang variant, the MCU seems to be reportedly planning on race-swapping Iron Lad as Black, in order to fit him as a Black Kang variant, originally portrayed by Jonathan Majors.

Following this racial conflict rising within Marvel Studios, recent rumors hinted at a potentially groundbreaking casting choice for the upcoming Young Avengers movie. Since the 2025 film in development is supposedly set to feature a Kang variant, renowned insider account, Holy Field News suggested that Iron Lad might be race-swapped, with Swagger star Isaiah Hill, who is being considered for a potential role.

While Ty Simpkins’ Harley Keener has been theorized to potentially take on the role, the shift in Kang’s ethnicity perhaps prompted a reconsideration of this casting choice. With Kang portrayed by Jonathan Majors, who is Black, the door opens wide for a more diverse interpretation of Iron Lad.