Summary
- Tony Stark's connection with Harley Keener from Iron Man 3 puts him in great danger in the Armor Wars movie, as villainous individuals would likely target him to obtain stolen Stark tech.
- Unlike Pepper or Morgan, Harley is a vulnerable target due to his lack of extensive security and his possession of potentially valuable Stark technology. He could be easily interrogated for knowledge on how Stark tech works.
- Tony's generosity with individuals who reminded him of his younger self may have led to the existence of other regular people with Stark tech, but Harley's presence at Tony's funeral suggests a close connection, putting him at risk in the Armor Wars storyline.
One Iron Man 3 character’s MCU future could be at risk thanks to Armor Wars. Iron Man 3 was nowhere near the MCU’s best, but it was a solid ending for the Iron Man trilogy. To cope with his insomnia, Tony Stark crafted a ton of new Iron Man suits. When the one he is wearing breaks down during an escape, he lands in Tennessee, where he meets a child named Harley Keener. Though a relatively minor character in the overall MCU, Tony ittedly wouldn’t have gotten the research about Extremis without him.
As thanks for his help, Tony sent Harley a garage full of modern engineering equipment at the end of Iron Man 3. Harley was then forgotten by most until he appeared at Tony’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame. Pepper and Happy wouldn’t have let just anyone into the funeral, so clearly Tony and Harley still maintained some sort of connection after the events of Iron Man 3. They definitely kept in , and it can be theorized that Tony sent him more Stark tech to experiment with as he grew up, given his other donations to young enterprising individuals throughout the MCU. Though a touching sentiment, their relationship puts Harley in great danger going into Armor Wars.
Armor Wars' Plot Puts Harley Keener In Massive Danger
Not much is currently confirmed about the MCU’s Armor Wars movie besides the fact that it will star Don Cheadle as James Rhodes. It can be assumed that the film will be based off of the Armor Wars comic arc, where Tony’s Iron Man armor starts falling into the wrong hands and being used for evil. The MCU has seen its fair share of stolen technology, with Tony’s Iron Man concept already being stolen by Obadiah Stane to make the Iron Monger armor in Iron Man. Rhodey’s job will thus seemingly be to seek out those who have the stolen Stark tech and put a stop to their plans.
For Rhodey to put a stop to the misuse of the Iron Man armor, some Stark tech logically has to be stolen beforehand. Given this, Harley Keene is theoretically the most vulnerable target to attempt to take from - especially since, if the MCU’s Harley is anything like his comic counterpart, he likely has quite a bit of Stark technology in his possession, which would make him a huge target for those who want to recreate Tony’s work. Harley could possibly have even built his own Stark tech suit by now, but defending himself against these enemies would still be a huge ask for him.
Why Harley Keener Is A Bigger Target Than Pepper Or Morgan
When trying to obtain any Stark secrets, going after Pepper or Morgan might seem like the obvious move. However, any villain intending to do so would have a very hard time getting past the multiple layers of security Pepper and Happy likely have in place. On the other hand, Harley is just a teenager who works out of his garage. He’s probably upgraded his workshop since Iron Man 3, but it would still be considerably easier to get to him, while keeping the advantage of being able to interrogate him as to how Stark tech works, which is perhaps even more valuable than just taking the technology.
Tony liked to be generous with anyone who reminded him of his younger self, so there could be a lot of other regular people who have Stark tech out there. However, Harley’s presence at Tony’s Endgame funeral speaks volumes about the connection they kept after Iron Man 3. It’s a touching continuation of Tony’s legacy, but it could, unfortunately, put Harley in danger's way leading up to the MCU’s Armor Wars film.
