If there’s one Marvel hero who made it out of Avengers: Endgame better than anyone could expect, it’s Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man.
In the lead-up to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Ant-Man’s life has only become sweeter. In Quantumania, Scott embarks on a book tour for his fictional best-selling memoir Look Out for the Little Guy. Soon you’ll get to actually read Scott’s book, and it might be the last of Scott Lang that fans will see.
On February 2, Marvel and Paul Rudd announced that Look Out for the Little Guy will be published, for real, via Disney’s Hyperion Avenue. It’s available for pre-order now, is set to release in September 2023, and has a page count of 256.
While there’s a delight in seeing the lines separating our reality from the Marvel Cinematic Universe blur, there is another factor to consider about Scott’s book being sold on real shelves. With Quantumania having a comparatively darker and more solemn tone than Ant-Man’s last two movies thanks to Scott being pitted against the conniving Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), there is rampant speculation among fans that someone will die. It could be Hope (Evangeline Lily), the now-adult Cassie (Kathryn Newton), or even Scott’s mentor, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas).
But it could also be Scott on the chopping block. At one point in the trailer, Scott ominously tells Kang, “We both just have to lose” before succumbing to uncertain doom in the Quantum Realm. With that context, the release of Look Out for the Little Guy is no longer just cute marketing for a Disney movie, but a way to capitalize on fans grieving one of their favorites.
Further supporting the possible death of Scott Lang is a general outline of events from the comics. In the 2004 Marvel crossover event Avengers Disassembled, Scott Lang is killed by an out-of-control Scarlet Witch. The death of Scott inspires his daughter, Cassie Lang, to run away and join the Young Avengers.
While it’s unlikely the MCU will directly follow Avengers Disassembled, the Phase Four slate laid the foundations for a possible Young Avengers franchise. Some key Young Avengers have already appeared, including Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Billy and Tommy (Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne). While Cassie has been in the MCU since 2015’s Ant-Man, Quantumania is aging her up with 25-year-old actress Kathryn Newton as a Cassie who will suit up in her own costume.
When Paul Rudd joined the MCU, the comedy star signed a three-picture deal, which also included guest appearances in two other Marvel movies. With Quantumania, Rudd’s contract is seemingly fulfilled, though contract renewals are never out of the question. Still, Quantumania is starting to look like some sort of end for Scott Lang. Whether he survives to see another Phase or is squashed like a bug by Kang, at least fans will have something to remember him by.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on February 17.
