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Marvel fans can't keep calm as there's less than a week remaining until the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This would mark the first offering from Marvel Studios in 2023 and also their official entry into Phase Five.
Phase Four ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the events of which are almost concurrent with that of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as pointed out by Nate Moore from Marvel Studios. With Phase Five making its debut, we have already come halfway through MCU's Multiverse Saga, which is set to culminate in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026.
Marvel fans worldwide are excited about the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as it will pave the way for the rest of Phase Five to unfold. Understandably, the excitement has also triggered many fans to develop their own speculations and theories about the upcoming release and what it would mean for future projects.
These fan theories are not complete conjectures but have their foundations based on either the Marvel Comics or the teasers and trailers released to date. Now, only time will tell which of them, if any, will be true.
Deaths, possible MCU references, and more: 10 insane fan theories about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
1) Scott Lang dies
The first thing that many Marvel fans have speculated is that our favorite con-turned-superhero, Ant-Man, aka Scott Lang, will be dying at the end of Quantumania. While we cannot be definite about the why, the most plausible cause of Scott's death is Kang the Conqueror.
It could be that Ant-Man has the power to traverse the Quantum Realm, a dimension beyond the reasons of time, and Kang perceives it to be a danger to him. Another reason could be that Scott agrees to a deal with Kang but later tries to back out.
2) Kang is not the main villain
We all know that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will introduce MCU's next big villain, Kang the Conqueror. However, Kang's story is not set to end before Avengers: Secret Wars, marking the end of Phase Six.
If we take any clues from the previous Marvel projects, the main villain rarely lifts his finger at the very beginning. While Quantumania may set a foundation for the Multiversal villain, it may not have Kang playing a huge role. Our bet is that M.O.D.O.K, another prominent character from the comic series, will be brought to life.
3) Scott's deal with Kang
As a trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has pointed out, the Quantum Realm is like a cage for Kang the Conqueror from where he needs to get out. To this end, he enlists Scott Langs's help as the Ant-Man.
Kang the Conqueror is a highly ambitious villain whose ultimate goal is to rule over all of time. With He Who Remains dead after Loki's first season, Kang sets off on his evil plan but needs to get out of the Quantum Realms first.
However, both Scott and Kang seem to be trapped there. This is where Kang's deal with Scott comes into play. Speculating from the events of the comic series, Kang may be looking to get his hands on the Forever Crystal, which was created by shrinking the city of Chronopolis by none other than Immortus, a future Kang. Since Ant-Man can manipulate the size of things, this looks right up his alley.
4) Sylvie makes an appearance
The event that triggered MCU's Multiversal Saga was Sylvie killing He Who Remains at the end of time in Loki. Sylvie's quest for free will let loose the multiversal monster of Kang, and she is well aware of it as He Who Remains had already warned her.
While Loki is back in the TVA, though, in an altered version, Sylvie's whereabouts are uncertain. It could be very well that Sylvie inherits the wish of He Who Remains and vies to stop the multiversal collapse which Kang will bring forth.
5) Reed Richard makes an appearance
For those who aren't aware of Kang the Conqueror's true identity, his real name was Nathaniel Richards, a descendent of Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. He originally hailed from the 31st century, where he discovered the Multiverse and multiversal travel, setting him off on his devastating journey.
Reed Richards plays quite an important role in the comic series. With his vast knowledge of the Multiverse, he may have a pivotal role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic storyline. While we do not expect an appearance from Richards within the film, a post-credit scene does not sound too far-fetched.
6) Another time jump is in store
One of the more practically thought-out theories is that at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, there will be a noticeable time jump. As Scott Lang had previously pointed out in Avengers: Endgame, his five hours in the Quantum Realm translated to five years in the real world. However, for Janet van Dyne, the thirty years she spent stuck in the Quantum Realm was very real.
With time not being as structured or regular in the Quantum World as in the real world, the passage of time can be quite erratic. Since most of the events in Quantumania happen in the Quantum Realm, we can expect another time jump when the survivors come back to the real world.
7) The Ten Rings come from the Quantum Realm
As we all know, the post-credit scenes of Marvel films have predominantly paved the path to future films. With this in mind, many Marvel fans have hypothesized that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may have already referenced the introduction of Kang.
In the post-credits scene, we see Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner analyze the rings and conclude that they are not of any known origin and are much older than a thousand years.
One of the theories is that Kang created the Ten Rings and left them in the past to be discovered by somebody. Many netizens have noticed the similarity between the inscriptions on the rings and the designs around Chronopolis, the city in the Quantum Realm that Kang is from. While this may vary from the comics' story of origin for the rings, Marvel has been known to modulate the storyline for their cinematic universe.
8) Kang has already won
One of the most insane fan theories is that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may have a much more grim ending than you'd expect. Put forth by a Redditor on the MarvelStudios subreddit, this theory speculates that when the crew returns from their journey in the Quantum Realm, they return to a different reality - one where Kang has already conquered everything.
This would essentially tie in with the ending of Loki, which portrays Kang as the proprietor of the TVA, meaning that it was a different variant compared to He Who Remains, maybe Kang the Conqueror.
9) The introduction of Nate Richards as Iron Lad
Among the plethora of speculated new characters that the MCU will be introducing in the upcoming Ant-Man sequel is Nate Richards. Nate is the younger version of the Nathaniel Richards variant, who later becomes Kang the Conqueror.
In the comics, Nate Richards plays a vital role in the fight against Kang. He was responsible for bringing together the Young Avengers. He also took upon the mantle of Iron Lad. As speculated by another Redditor, the audience can expect a glimpse of Iron Lad making contact with Cassie Lang to help in the fight against his future self.
10) The TVA plays an important role
Another major player in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could be the TVA. As we have been told in the first season of Loki, the TVA is located beyond the traditional boundaries of time and space. This sounds much like what the Quantum Realm has been defined as so far. The TVA being in the Quantum Realm would also tell us how they can freely move around the Sacred Timeline, as they do in Loki.
This means that the TVA shares the same realm as the one where Ant-Man will be visiting in the upcoming film. Considering that the Quantum Realm has already been depicted as a place that harbors vast civilizations, intelligent species, and the capacity to enable time travel, the TVA could make an appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Final thoughts
These were some of the most insane theories and conjectures that Marvel fans have come up with about the upcoming film. While we do not expect all of these theories to come true, we are waiting with bated breath to discover some of the major plot twists that Marvel has in store.
Set to release on February 17, 2023, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will start Phase Five in the MCU. Be sure to catch the film in theaters, as it is sure to be a visual treat.
