The following article contains spoilers Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’s was hyped as the one movie that would kick off Marvel’s Phase Five, and although practically all of Scott Lang and the ant family’s adventure takes place in Quantum Realm, the film will have big consequences for Kang the Conqueror and the rest of the MCU.
Towards the end of Ant-Man 3, Scott upsets this Marvel juggernaut thanks to Hope Van Dyne’s timely intervention, thus solving the mystery of whether Ant-Man would survive his third solo movie or not. Nevertheless, while the film makes it seem like Kang the Conqueror’s threat has been locked away in the Quantum Realm, it’s Scott himself who starts to wonder how getting rid of this bad guy could have been so easy, and that’s exactly why both of Quantumania’s post-credits scenes will be so important moving forward.
Ant-Man 3's Mid-credits Scene: New Kang Variants
Quantumania’s mid-credits scene introduces MCU viewers to an established Marvel Comics institution, the Council of Kangs, yet while its numbers might be impressive, it’s not how many Kangs there are that matters, but who makes up the governing board. These Kangs all find their roots in old comic books, as Immortus, Rama-Tut, and, by process of elimination, the blueish Scarlet Centurion are the versions of Nathaniel Richards that possess some of the more complete storylines.
Since it’s the Immortus variant that appears to be the leader among these three, it’s plausible to say that the Kang Council is currently gathering at the Limbo realm, the place where Immortus, the most storied and fearsome of all Kangs, resides. This variant is so vital to Kang’s story that Loki’s He Who Remains was initially seen by many fans as a blend of Immortus with the character that originally bore that name.
So what are these three Kangs up to? Well, many seem to be in a rather cheerful mood due to Kang the Conqueror's supposed demise, as the three leaders even lament that it was not one of them who took them out. With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty planned, it’s this group of Kangs that could unleash the war He Who Remains warned Loki about since, ultimately, it’s that first all-knowing Kang who sat at the end of all time and space.
It’s possible that Quantumania’s villain may have not been the worst Kang of them all, and even despite being presumed dead, it took the effort of every other variant of his in the Multiverse to imprison him in the Quantum Realm, so he could still be thought of as “Prime Kang.” Ultimately, one common criticism in many Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania reviews is that Ant-Man taking down such a powerful foe seems strange, so do not rule out the plot for this movie somehow fitting into the Council or main Kang’s plans, whoever that is.
The Kang Council speaks of what they have built in the absence of the -allegedly- now dead Kang the Conqueror, and combining that statement with Loki’s shattering of the Sacred Timeline, it’s safe to say Immortus, Rama-Tut and the oddball Kang will be calling the shots in the Multiverse. Clearly, this trio has its qualms with Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch starting to approach their domain, and speaking of which, Loki up next in the Multiverse batter's box.
Ant-Man 3's Post-Credits: Trailer For Loki Season 2
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the first MCU flick to feature an outright trailer as post-credits content, but other movies had teased scenes taken straight out from future releases. In that sense, the post-credits is the best look yet at Loki’s season 2, one where the former God of Mischief and his TVA co-worker, Mobius M. Mobius, appear to have started their hunt for Kang, or He Who Remains, maybe.
In this clip, Jonathan Majors is playing Victor Timely, another Kang variant that traveled back in time to become a revered member of society due to his pioneering technological advances, which is exactly what he’s seen presenting here, probably in the early 1900s as the light bulbs and everyone’s clothing hint. Victor timely looks rather cheerful and harmless compared to the power-obsessed Kang the Conqueror, Immortus and Rama-tut, so this could be one of many different variants Loki and Mobius encounter at an earlier stage, possibly even He Who Remains.
A couple of Loki previews have shown the detective duo in vintage settings, but it’s not entirely possible to rule out that Loki and Mobius’s chase could eventually lead them to meet the OG 30th century Nathaniel Richards, otherwise the MCU’s Fantastic Four is the only other logical inclusion for that character. In any case, Ant-Man 3 leaves no room for doubt, Loki is next in the ballad of Kang as Marvel readies itself for a full Avengers-level conflict in The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania's ending disappointed by sticking with Marvel's custom of killing off villains, however, both post-credits scenes suggest Kang is the type of enemy the Avengers will spend years fighting, one that, just like Thanos, will make Marvel fans shake in his quest to rule all the universes.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently available in theaters.