The battle with Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sets up five different story developments for Phase 5 and Phase 6 of the MCU.
WARNING: Spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The battle with Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sets up five different story developments for Phase 5 and Phase 6 of the MCU. Due to the identity of the film’s main antagonist, it was no secret that Ant-Man 3 would be the foundation of what comes next. And, as expected, it appears many of Marvel’s upcoming projects will be heavily impacted by the events of the movie.
The comic history of Kang the Conqueror set a clear precedent for his MCU counterpart, as it was known well ahead of the release of Ant-Man 3 that the character was unlikely to be a one-and-done villain. As one of the Avengers’ biggest villains and someone who’s masterminded dozens of major battles in Marvel Comics, Kang felt destined for multiple MCU appearances. He was defeated in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s ending, but as the post-credits scenes confirm, Kang will indeed be back. Here’s what Quantumania means for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, as well as other movies and shows on Marvel’s slate.
5Are The Council Of Kangs The MCU’s Next Thanos?
Based on how Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ended, no singular version of Kang will be Avengers 5’s main villain. If the first post-credits scene is any indication, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will have to contend with a massive assembly of Kang variants. The Council of Kangs is a concept created in the 1980s and the antagonists of the original “The Kang Dynasty” storyline. From the looks of things, the real problem facing the Avengers in their next movie isn’t the threat posed by Kang, but the problems that come with hundreds of them banding together.
If that’s true, the Council of Kangs is poised to become the MCU’s real replacement for Thanos. Together, these characters could challenge entire teams of heroes. That would make sense, given that Kang – as powerful as he was – had his hands full Ant-Man and his allies. More Kangs may be needed to fight the Avengers. As for which Kang variants will be the leaders of their forces, the scene points to Rama-Tut, the Scarlet Centurion, and Immortus spearheading the Council’s plans when Avengers: The Kang Dynasty kicks off. A proper version of Kang the Conqueror could also be added to their roster since Quantumania’s version was seemingly killed off.
4Rama-Tut Could Return Before Avengers 5: Kang Dynasty
While the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaia post-credits scene certainly implies that the Council of Kangs will return for The Kang Dynasty, one in particular is in a position to show up earlier. Rama-Tut, the Kang dressed up as an Egyptian pharaoh, actually predates the original Kang the Conqueror in Marvel Comics. Introduced before the Avengers villain, Rama-Tut made his first appearance in the pages of Fantastic Four as a time-traveler from the future that ruled ancient Egypt. Feeling that his life had become mundane, Rama-Tut used his knowledge of the future to place clues in the past and trick the Fantastic Four into visiting him in the past, thus setting up a fight between them.
After losing to the Fantastic Four, Rama-Tut left Egypt behind and fled to the future, where he rebranded himself as Kang the Conqueror. With the Fantastic Four getting their own MCU movie, Marvel has an opportunity to explore this chapter in the villain’s destiny by making Rama-Tut the central antagonist. Fantastic Four arriving in theaters just a few months before Avengers 5 would allow the MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family to lead directly into the crossover movie if Rama-Tut is involved.
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3Victor Timely Sets Up Loki Season 2
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania all but confirms that Jonathan Majors’ character will be important to Loki season 2. When the season 1 finale ended with Sylvie killing He Who Remains and allowing a Kang variant to take over the TVA, it was unclear how Marvel would balance this development with Kang’s future in the movies. Now, it looks like there will be room for Majors’ character to menace the MCU on both the big and small screen. The second post-credits scene reveals that another Kang counterpart from Marvel Comics, Victor Timely, is in the crosshairs of Loki and Mobius.
Judging by this story tease, chasing down Victor Timely in the early 1900s will be at the crux of Loki season 2’s story. With Timely as a major part of the puzzle for Loki’s next MCU adventure, season 2 is shaping up to be just as crucial to Marvel’s setup for the MCU’s future as the first season was in Phase 4. Whatever happens during their hunt for Timely could lead to some important revelations about Kang before the Avengers fight him in Phase 6.
2Marvel Confirms Kang Knows The Avengers
Some of the exchanges that occurred between Scott and Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may foreshadow preemptive measures taken by the Council of Kangs in The Kang Dynasty. It’s known now that Kang was already acquainted with the Avengers before meeting Scott. Briefly mistaking Scott for Thor and wondering if he’s killed Ant-Man before makes it obvious that he’s had his fair share of encounters with the Avengers. Clearly, Kang considers them enemies, or at the very least, obstacles to his goals.
If they’ve attracted his attention in the past, it stands to reason that his variants are also aware of the superhero team’s existence. That could make the Avengers targets of the Kang variants at the start of The Kang Dynasty. Instead of learning about his intentions for the multiverse and uniting to stop him, the Council of Kangs may take the initiative and attack the Avengers first.
1Quantumania Sets Up 3 MCU Heroes To Fight Kang
The exact lineup of heroes Marvel has in mind for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is unknown at this juncture, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has positioned three MCU heroes to be among the characters who fight Kang when the time comes. Every member of the core group survived the fight with Kang in the movie and has firsthand knowledge of how he fights, what he wants, and more. Their experience with Kang sets them up to be integral to the conflict ahead.
It would only be logical for at least some of them to be on hand when the Council of Kangs make their presence known in The Kang Dynasty. Of those who could participate in the fighting, Scott, Hope van Dyne, and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang are all strong candidates. Scott is already an Avenger and is a no-brainer for Phase 6’s Avengers lineup. Hope, who is seen as an equal partner to Scott in the MCU, could also join the team. Cassie too could be on hand, considering that she has her own superhero costume after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and could be on the MCU’s Young Avengers team if the group ever forms.
