Who Was That Young Man At The 'Avengers: Endgame' Funeral?

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of every single Marvel Cinematic Universe film thus far, so you didn't think everybody was going to make it out alive, did you? The fact that there's a funeral scene in this film shouldn't surprise anyone , but what did surprise us was one of the attendees: a young man we couldn't instantly identify, but who looked vaguely familiar. Read on to find out who he was, but beware of gigantic spoilers below.

This is your final warning: major Endgame spoilers ahead. Seriously. If you haven't seen the film yet and want to preserve your theatrical experience, bookmark this page and come back later. Here we go.

In a moving sacrifice, Tony Stark reunited the survivors with the people they lost during Thanos's snap, giving up his own life in the process. Rest in peace, Iron Man. Tony's funeral is well-attended, and the camera swoops through the crowd past several groupings of characters: Pepper Potts and their daughter, Morgan; Black Panther, Shuri, and Okoye; Peter Parker, Captain Marvel, Nick Fury, the list goes on...it's an impressive gathering of superhero characters.

But there are some regular people in the mix as well, and near the back of the group, one teenaged boy stands alone. He doesn't say anything, but his presence there indicates that he's an important figure in Tony's life. The camera briefly glides over him, but then we never see the young man again. Who was that guy?

Marvel Studios

The answer is Harley Keener, played by Ty Simpkins. Harley is the kid from Iron Man 3, the one who helped Tony when Iron Man crash-landed in Tennessee. That movie took place in 2013, and remember, the funeral happens around 2023 because of the five-year time jump. That explains why Simpkins is barely recognizable.

Don't remember Harley? He bantered around with Tony a bit when Tony broke into his garage, but notably, Harley, a burgeoning inventor himself, ended up helping Tony during one of his panic attacks caused by the PTSD from the Battle of New York:

Harley's appearance at Tony's funeral is a nice reminder of the human element of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, putting an actual face on the global citizenry the Avengers are often tasked with saving. Occasionally, huge movies like this can lose sight of who and what the heroes are fighting for. But every once in a while, we get a look at the tangible impact superheroes have on humanity...and the unsung people who've helped them out along the way.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now.