THE UCM it just provided a stand-in for a major Marvel hero in a way that manages to make an important question about the character more pressing than ever. Marvel's recent history has delivered on a selection of beloved characters, with the main X-Men '97 all the characters having their moments in the sun during the series' first season, and with a number of familiar faces returning for another chance at on-screen glory for Deadpool and Wolverineis ending.
In the final days of 2024, yet another hero that viewers probably didn't expect to see so soon appeared on screens with Marvel's newest release, continuing that trend for the MCU. However, where Deadpool and Wolverine answered many questions about the fates of characters like Dafne Keen's Laura and Jennifer Garner's Electra, this story only serves to raise as many questions as it answers. That said, it makes the prospect of a major Marvel hero returning to the main MCU timeline seem even more likely.
And if? Season 3 Introduces a New MCU Iron Fist
And if...? Episode 6 of the third season spends a not insignificant part of its story teasing the pseudonymous hero of the boy who accompanies Shang-Chi and Hawkeye on their adventure. While the first main tease - that of the kid saying his name is Jun-Fan - may have just raised question marks for savvy comic readers, Jun-Fan revealing some serious martial arts moves certainly makes the point to a wide audience. From the beginning he is not an ordinary boy.
The end of the episode - where the two heroes watch Jun-Fan, and Hawkeye comments that he is "I have some iron fists" - seems to confirm that this character is none other than Kwai Jun-Fan, who in the comics is the Iron Fist version that operated in the Wild West. This is also reinforced by the Watcher's narration saying that “A person's tragic fall is often just the origin story of a new hero's rise." right before showing the child, suggesting that his encounter with Xu Xialing and Sonny Burch is what will lead to him becoming the hero from now on.
Who the MCU's main Iron Fist is still remains a big question for the future of the franchise
Although the MCU sets up Jun-Fan to become Iron Fist in And if...? season 3, episode 6, tThe nature of the show being set in a series of alternate universes that differ in many aspects from the MCU's conventional timeline leaves the question of who the MCU's main Iron Fist is still up in the air.. Since Jun-Fan's comic book history places him as the Iron Fist of the Old West, it doesn't seem all that likely he'll also appear in the main universe, even if the episode demonstrates the positive aspects of potentially doing so.
Likewise, although the Netflix era of Marvel shows has become MCU canon - with Daredevil: Born Again following directly from 2018 Reckless Season 3 - It's not really clear if this would definitely extend to the Defenders universe's Iron Fist as well. Even if that happens, enough time has passed in the universe that the MCU might still want to do its own iteration. Considering how many people have held onto the mantle of Iron Fist in the comics, it doesn't seem like anything will appear set in stone until the end of the year. UCM makes things concrete - although we hope the And if...? provoke means it will happen soon.
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February 14, 2025
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July 25, 2025
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July 24, 2026