Ant-Man 3 ending explained: Who lives, who dies, and what’s next

❘ Updated: 2023-02-17T07:00:00

Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conquerer in Ant-Man 3.

Disney/Marvel

Ant-Man 3 – aka Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – is in cinemas now, meaning it’s time to examine what happens at the end of the movie, who dies, and how it affects the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the first of three MCU movies hitting screens this year, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 following in May, and The Marvels releasing in June.

It’s also the first film in Marvel’s Phase 5, meaning it’s setting up storylines that will pay off at a later date. It’s also introducing the overarching villain of this period in the shape of Kang the Conqueror.

So this is what happens at the end of Ant-Man 3, who lives and dies, as well as what ramifications these events might have in both the movies and on TV. So beware of spoilers ahead…

What happens at the end of Ant-Man 3?

At the end of Ant-Man 3, the villainous M.O.D.O.K dies, and Kang is conquered. It takes the combined might of Scott, Hope, Hank, Janet, Cassie, and the rest of the Quantum Realm, including an army of super-intelligent ants.

Hank, Janet, and Cassie make it back to San Francisco. And after one last tussle with Kang which Scott and Hope win, his death is celebrated throughout the realm, and the title characters make their own way back.

Everything seems perfect at home, with Scott stating via voiceover that life is good. But then doubt starts to creep in regarding how easy it was to defeat a being who always wins.

Scott says: “We did beat him right? But he also said something bad is coming, and that everyone would die if he didn’t get out…” Lang suspects – as we know – that Kang isn’t done yet. With the character most certainly returning for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025.

There then follows a pair of post-credit scenes that feature Kang actor Jonathan Majors. The first is a meeting of what appears to be the Council of Kangs, discussing the Conqueror’s exile. Which appears to be led by other iterations of the character in the shape of Rama-Tut and Immortus.

Displeased that Ant-Man and the Wasp killed their variant, they vow to stop the pair meddling in the multiverse, and call upon a stadium full of Kangs to help.

The second sting plays out in in what appears to be Victorian times. A man onstage – played by Jonathan Majors, and appearing to be Kang variant Victor Timely – claims that while time shapes our lives, sometimes we can shape it.

Cut to the audience, and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) whispers to Mobius (Owen Wilson) “It’s him!” Thereby introducing a new version of Kang to the MCU. And potentially setting up Season 2 of Loki.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in cinemas now, and you can check out more of our coverage below…