Ant-Man 3 will introduce the prime version of the Multiverse Saga"s ultimate big bad in Jonathan Majors" Kang the Conqueror, who looks to start his reign of Multiversal terror in the first project of Phase 5. This will be the second Variant of Kang that fans have seen after Phase 4"s Loki introduced He Who Remains in July 2021, although this Kang will be the one that poses the biggest threat to all life and existence throughout the Multiverse.
While Kang and the Multiverse are confirmed to be key plot points throughout Phase 5 and Phase 6, it"s still not clear how much the Multiverse will be touched on in Ant-Man 3, particularly with the story diving fully into the Quantum Realm.
Ant-Man 3"s Relationship with the Multiverse
MarvelComing from the official press release for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel Studios VP of Production & Development Stephen Broussard teased how the Multiverse will be a big part of this next movie.While the main focus is on this sequel"s characters, Broussard noted that "the headiness of the Multiverse" and the Quantum Realm alike are a big part of what makes this sequel such a game-changer for the MCU:
“One of our philosophies that we’ve always applied at the studio is to just go back to character, and to root it in character, and the science-fiction and the world-building is fun but ultimately it’s window dressing to the characters who are on this journey. I think as long as we never forget that this is a story about a father and his daughter reconnecting, which essentially is what this film is, then the headiness of the Multiverse, the headiness of the Quantum Realm sorts itself out because you only need to understand that it’s a father-and-daughter story.”Director Peyton Reed also added his thoughts on Kang being "the most powerful being in the Multiverse" as he goes up against arguably "the "weakest" Avenger" in Scott Lang, which adds to the excitement for him in making Ant-Man 3:
“A lot of people might consider Ant-Man the ‘weakest’ Avenger: ‘What can that guy do? He shrinks and talks to ants. That’s ridiculous.’ Putting that guy up against Kang the Conqueror, who’s the most powerful being in the multiverse—that seemed really exciting to us.”Will the Multiverse Play a Big Role in Ant-Man 3?Considering that Marvel Studios dubbed Phase 4 through Phase 6 the "Multiverse Saga" and that Kang the Conqueror is the overarching villain of that Saga, it"s not too shocking to hear that the Multiverse"s presence will be felt in Ant-Man 3. Since Kang is one of the characters that"s most familiar with using the Multiverse to his advantage and traveling through it in the comics, many are expecting that this concept will be explored more deeply as his prime form comes to life.
It"s still unclear if this movie will visit other dimensions or use Multiversal heroes the way Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did, although the Quantum Realm could open the door to that plot point becoming real. The threequel"s recently-released second trailer hinted that there could be multiple Scott Langs having to meet and work together to stop Kang, although this could be either different heroes from across the Multiverse or Kang using his superpowers in concert with the Quantum Realm"s wild nature.
Regardless of those answers, this movie will be just the first step towards more Kang stories, specifically as he moves forward into 2025"s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will arrive in theaters on February 17.
