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The next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrives on Friday, February 17 when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly return to reprise their titular roles, while Jonathan Majors makes his debut as the villainous Kang the Conqueror. The third film of the Ant-Man trilogy also marks the 31st film of the MCU.
While many MCU films have grounded plots that ultimately interconnect to the larger universe, there are a select few films that set the stage for the larger conflict. Captain America: Civil War effectively divided The Avengers, which played into their struggles in Avengers: Infinity War. And of course, the formation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes started way back in Iron Man via a post-credits teaser. Quantumania, namely Kang the Conqueror, has the potential to be another impactful moment in the universe.
But what if the larger effect comes at the expense of established characters? After Kang utters to Ant-Man in the trailer, “you may not want her to watch this,” does it ensure we’ll see the demise of at least one character?
Here are our predictions as to which characters might bite the dust in Quantumania.
Ant-Man / Scott Lang
Lang rebuttals to Kang in the official trailer, “I don’t have to win...we both just have to lose.” Do these words ultimately seal Ant-Man’s fate in the upcoming film? It wouldn’t be the first time in which audiences have witnessed him meet his demise, per se. Lang was lost to the depths of the quantum realm at the conclusion of Ant-Man and the Wasp, but there is a chance that his death in Quantumania could be permanent.
If anything, perhaps this timeline’s version of Scott Lang sacrifices himself in a last-ditch attempt to stop Kang, but in regards to the future, a multiversal variant will reappear when it comes time for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars. Of the options laid out, this version of Lang sacrificing himself in a desperate attempt for the greater good seems like the odds on favorite. The question is whether his demise will be in vain or not.
Hank Pym
At the Quantumania premiere, Michael Douglas humorously quipped to a reporter that asked him about his return if an Ant-Man 4 film were to be greenlighted. “As long as I can die,” was his apparent number one condition. But we’ve seen MCU actors purposefully mislead reporters before, so there’s still a chance that he’s probable to meet his demise in this film.
The mantle of Ant-Man has clearly been passed onto Lang, and after rescuing Janet Van Dyne from the quantum realm, one could argue that Pym has fulfilled his purpose. Killing him could be a means for Kang to assert himself as a true multiversal threat while eliminating the creator of the Pym particles. Since Kang knows all and can see all if he ultimately considers Pym’s existence as a threat to his mission, then eliminating him makes all the more sense.
Janet Van Dyne
Janet clearly has a history with Kang based on her words in the teaser trailer, which hints that she either knows or played a part in why the villain has been trapped in the quantum realm all this time. Chances are he won’t be too forgiving when coming across Janet once more in the film, so the question remains as to how far Kang will take a grudge. It sounds like he’ll befriend Ant-Man and company for as long as needed until he eventually acquires what he needs for his eventual escape.
After that, all bets are off. If Janet were to bite the dust, odds are that it will happen alongside Hank Pym. Either one can’t fathom living without the other following the events of the first two films, so chances are Kang will eliminate both on the road toward conquest.