How Ant-Man 3 sets up future of the MCU

❘ Published: 2023-02-17T12:46:02

Disney/Marvel

Ant-Man 3 – aka Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – is in cinemas now, and there’s lots to unpack regarding how it sets up the future of the MCU.

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe drew to a close with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever late last year. Meaning Phase 5 is starting up today thanks to the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

The third – and probably final – film in the Ant-Man franchise introduces a (kind-of) new villain, and starts storylines that will pay off in both the movies and streaming shows on Disney+.

So without further ado, here’s what happens in Ant-Man 3, and how it might affect the future of Phase 4 and Phase 5. So beware of SPOILERS AHEAD…

How Ant-Man 3 sets up future of the MCU

The most obvious way Ant-Man 3 sets up the future of the MCU is in the introduction of Kang. The character first appeared at the end of Loki Season 1, as a variation called He Who Remains. But in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, he goes full Kang, in the character’s Conqueror mode.

Ant-Man and the Wasp defeat and ultimately seem to kill Kang. But this is just the start of his story in the MCU. Twice in Ant-Man 3, he claims to have fought the Avengers, even saying to Scott Lang: “Have I killed you before? They all blur together after a while. You’re not the one with the hammer?”

With time non-linear for Kang, this has doubtless happened in his past. But it’s something for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to look forward to, if not before, then during Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025.

Kang also promises: “I know how it ends. All of it… I don’t live in a straight line, and with time, it’s hard not to skip to the end.” He then adds that what’s coming is “me… a lot of me.” Which lines up with the post-credits scene where we see the Council of Kangs call upon a stadium full of Kangs to ready themselves for the battle that’s coming.

Which also ties in with one of Scott’s final lines, which the audience hears via voiceover. “We did beat him right? But he also said something bad is coming, and that everyone would die if he didn’t get out…”

He’s referring to the Quantum Realm, from which the Conqueror definitely didn’t escape, so Kang is most definitely coming, and he’s bringing many more Kangs with him.

How Quantumania sets up Loki Season 2

We go into greater depths about the post-credit scenes in Ant-Man 3 here, but the second sting pretty much sets up the next season of an MCU series.

It’s a brief sequence that finds Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and Mobius (Owen Wilson) converging on earth at the same time and in the same place as someone who appears to be Victor Timely (Jonathan Majors), a Kang variant who in the comics, has plans for world domination.

With Loki Season 2 set to drop on Disney+ this year, the next time we see Kang could therefore be on the small screen, following in the footsteps of He Who Remains as the next Loki villain.

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