The MCU Would Be Very Different If Iron Man Discovered Talokan

Iron Man could have caused more tragedies in the MCU had he discovered Talokan earlier than Riri Williams and the Wakandans in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Both Wakanda and Talokan are thriving societies that used to pride themselves in their secrecy until the rise of superheroes, and its consequences led them to reveal themselves to the world. In Wakanda’s case, T’Challa voluntarily risked his kingdom’s safety for the sake of transparency, while Talokan’s Namor was forced to use aggressive methods to defend his kingdom from the outside world after Riri Williams pinpointed Talokan as a source of vibranium.

Riri Williams is Iron Man’s MCU successor not only due to her interest in Stark tech but especially because of her incredible intellect. She made her own Iron Man-style Ironheart prototype suit by herself in her garage and created a device that could detect vibranium, which led Namor to preemptively attack Wakanda once they decided to protect Riri. With a war between Wakanda and Talokan almost ending in a massive tragedy, it’s possible to wonder how worse the results would have been if Tony Stark had been the one who uncovered Talokan with his own vibranium-seeking device.

At Least 1 Major MCU Character Could Have Died

Although Namor’s plans to go to war with Wakanda was shut down early by Shuri, the conflict didn’t end without casualties. Namor knew he had the upper hand when he threatened Queen Ramonda and Shuri, and he didn’t hesitate to give Wakanda a deadly ultimatum by flooding the African kingdom and drowning Ramonda. Had Iron Man been the one to anger Namor, the Talokanil King could have easily done the same to someone close to Tony Stark.

While Iron Man was busy fighting off the powerful Talokanil forces or one of his personal nemeses, Namor could have targeted Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, James Rhodes, Harley Keener, or Peter Parker. Stark had already shown his vulnerability when he threatened the Mandarin in Iron Man 3 and almost got himself and his loved ones killed for it, but his innate luck meant that the only loss he suffered was a material one. Namor could have used the same opportunity Aldrich Killian had but caused even more damage by also flooding the surrounding areas. Causing this conflict may have also turned public opinion against Tony Star’s arrogance.

Civil War Would Have Been A Bigger, Darker Conflict

The divisive superhero conflict of Captain America: Civil War was inherently tied to Wakanda and vibranium, as both the MCU’s Sokovia Accords and Baron Zemo’s vengeance were rooted in Ultron’s destruction of Sokovia, which he accomplished with the vibranium he got from Ulysses Klaue. Zemo also began his plan with King T’Chaka’s assassination, and T’Challa first met the Avengers as a result. If Iron Man had discovered Talokan while trying to stop Ultron, Captain America: Civil War‘s already chaotic conflict would have added another deadly variable that could have either functioned as a third party or made one side significantly more powerful.

Namor and his kingdom could have joined the battle as an independent team. Meanwhile, Baron Zemo could have tried to manipulate Namor into dividing the Avengers even further. However, unlike Team Iron Man and Team Captain America, Team Namor wouldn’t have held back, as Namor and Talokan had no personal connection to the Avengers, and they would have taken deadlier measures if their wish to remain isolated required it. On top of that, they would have likely sparked a brand-new conflict with the world governments that saw them as a threat.

Iron Man Would Have Needed To Atone For His Constant Mistakes

Tony Stark’s MCU journey was filled with mistakes. Luckily for him, he was able to share the guilt with other Avengers when he created Ultron, caused collateral damage across the world, and lost to Thanos. But if he had created Riri Williams’ vibranium-finding device, angering Talokan would have been solely on him. The Avengers likely would have needed to confront him for causing a potentially catastrophic conflict right after Ultron, and strict measures could have been taken.

If Namor hadn’t held back and killed at least one Avenger in retaliation, it would be harder to see Iron Man as a hero instead of the villain Tony Stark was before he put on the armor. What this would have meant for the Avengers and the universe at large ahead of Thanos’s arrival is uncertain, but it could have been even worse than the Avengers’ defeat in Avengers: Infinity War. Perhaps Tony Stark would have broken up from the Avengers for good, and the Avengers would have lacked the final clue for the invention of time travel permanently.

The Avengers Could Have Had A Better Chance Against Thanos In Infinity War

Talokan’s earlier appearance would have been extremely helpful in Avengers: Infinity War. By that point, Talokan could have either made peace with the rest of the world or at least agreed to join Wakanda in the battle against Thanos out of pure self-preservation. Optimistically, the Wakandan and Talokanil armies could have held off the Outriders and the Black Order while the Avengers defended Vision, effectively protecting the Mind Stone from Thanos. With enough support, Wanda Maximoff could have saved Vision and avoided her tragic Scarlet Witch downfall. Pessimistically, however, Talokan would have only delayed Thanos’ victory.

Namor And The Talokans Could Have Helped Save Iron Man In Endgame

Talokan’s support in Avengers: Endgame would have certainly come in handy. Namor could have helped the Avengers protect the Infinity Gauntlet when they had it, and the Talokanil army could have strengthened their ranks on the battlefield, potentially making Iron Man’s sacrifice unnecessary. Although, as Doctor Strange foretold and He Who Remains confirmed, everything that happened in the Infinity Saga had to happen. This means that Iron Man didn’t have to suffer the guilt of unleashing Talokan’s wrath — leaving that for his successor Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — but also that Talokan couldn’t help him avoid his fate.