As the Marvel Cinematic Universe lurches into Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has a big task ahead of it. It somehow has to single-handedly explore and explain the Quantum Realm, introduce a next-generation superhero in Cassie Lang, raise the stakes for the multiverse, and introduce Phase 5’s big villain: Kang the Conqueror. Yes, we saw Jonathan Majors in Loki as the He Who Remains variant, but now it’s time for the evil Kang to take center stage.
Here’s everything you need to know about the film’s new trailer, from the huge reveals to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it secrets.
5. Kang the Conqueror
We’ve heard tales of Kang the Conqueror for a while. He Who Remains, the man lurking at the end of the Void in Loki, warned Loki and Sylvie that his variants were far worse than anything they’d faced so far. Then Marvel announced we’d have to wait two years to meet Kang, so there’s been quite the build-up.
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer establishes what makes Kang a villain to Ant-Man specifically: he makes a bargain with Scott to give him years back with his daughter Cassie. Kang’s a devilish guy, and if there’s anything Doctor Faustus taught us, it’s that deals with the devil aren’t the best bet.
4. Modok
We met Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) all the way back in the first Ant-Man movie, and apparently he either survived its events or has returned as a variant, because he appears as MODOK (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) in the Quantumania trailer. It’s unclear how he’ll figure into the movie’s plot, but the first MCU appearance of this fan-favorite character is definitely exciting. There are fearsome images of MODOK in the trailer, but this one shows the money shot: Corey Stoll’s face expanded to the character’s cartoonish proportions.
3. Shang-Chi Reference?
In the lead-up to Quantumania, we’ve seen several mystical powers without clear explanations. The rings in this city shown in the trailer could be tied to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but that’s not all. There was a subtle connection between Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel — remember that weird symbol on the floor? Maybe Quantumania will finally explain why all these elements are so stylistically similar.
2. Vari-Ants
Every since Loki, the MCU has had oodles of fun with variants. Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and What If...? have all showed off the potential of this new plot point. However, there’s far more that can be done, and the quantum realm is the perfect place to do it.
In one shot, we see hundreds of Ant-Men climbing on top of each other to form a human ladder, much like we see in nature with real ants. If you’re going to start showing multiple variants at once, you may as well go all out.
1. A New Dynasty
Quantumania makes it clear this is the start of a new chapter of Scott Lang’s story and a new phase for the MCU as a whole, but also the start of a new dynasty. This term, seen in the trailer’s text, is a reference to Avengers: Kang Dynasty, the endgame for the Kang era in more ways than one.
Kang Dynasty (previously known as Avengers 5) will be the last hurrah of Kang the Conqueror, and it looks like Quantumania will show us the first steps that will lead the Avengers — whatever the team will look like in Phase 5 — into a new mission to save Earth and, considering Kang’s vast power, possibly the whole universe.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premieres in theaters February 17, 2023.
