Marvel's biggest missed opportunity is reportedly returning to the MCU

Marvel Studios had a pretty flawless run throughout its Infinity Saga. Sure, some movies were weaker than others, and not all of its run was smooth-sailing, but for the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's long-form storytelling was a game-changing hit, enjoying levels of consistent box office success that had never been seen before, and acclaim from both fans and critics.

Avengers: Endgame brought about an incredible culmination to that story, leaving fans feeling all kinds of emotions. The Avengers' defeat of Thanos was a bittersweet moment as it came with the sacrifice of Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. It was a heartbreaking conclusion that brought about the end of one era and the beginning of another.

One character was involved in that in a very effective manner, but there were almost two versions of that same character in that movie. Now, we might finally see the second in action according to a new report.

Katherine Langford reportedly returning as Morgan Stark in the MCU

According to Marvel scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Katherine Langford will return to the MCU as the adult version of Morgan Stark. Although "return" is a loose term, because Marvel Studios cut the character's scenes in Avengers: Endgame, meaning that if she does return in the future, it would technically be her debut. The mystery of Marvel, right?

Morgan Stark made her MCU debut in Avengers: Endgame when, after the five-year time-jump, it was revealed that Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had a daughter. She was a child during the events of the movie, and was portrayed by Lexi Rabe. However, an adult version of the character was also set to appear in a sequence that was ultimately cut from the movie.

Langford actually shot the scene with Robert Downey Jr., during which Tony met his daughter at the way-station after using the Infinity Stones to blip Thanos and his army out of existence. It was designed to show the adult version of the character telling her father that they would be okay after he had made the ultimate sacrifice to save half the universe.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo revealed to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast that they made the decision to cut the scene due to a test audience's confusion after watching it. Anthony said:

"“What we realized about it was we didn’t feel an emotional association with the adult version of his daughter. It wasn’t ringing to us and resonating with us on an emotional level, which is why we moved away from it.”"

The scene has since been made available as one of Avengers: Endgame's deleted scenes. While Langford and Downey are compelling in the moment, fans tended to agree that the scene didn't have the emotional hook it was meant to and it could have risked disrupting the flow of an incredibly emotional moment after Tony snapped his fingers.

As for how Langford could return to the role in an MCU project remains to be seen. Now that we know RDJ will be back in a new role as the MCU's new Big Bad, Doctor Doom, there is a strong possibility that Morgan and her mother, Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), could be involved in some capacity. After all, if an evil supervillain intent on destroying the multiverse just so happens to be Tony Stark's doppelganger, his family might need to know about it.

Another project that she could appear in would be Armor Wars. Don Cheadle is set reprise his role as Tony's best friend, Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, who sets out on a mission protect Iron Man's legacy after his technology falls into the wrong hands. There is no greater legacy of Tony's than his own daughter, so it wouldn't be too surprising if she had a role in that movie.

Langford is an incredible actress who has enjoyed a very successful career. She made her breakthrough with the role of Hannah Baker in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why before going on to appear in Love, Simon, Knives Out, and Spontaneous. She also led the Netflix series Cursed in 2020. Needless to say, it would be great to see her finally get the chance to play Morgan Stark in the MCU, too.