Marvel Studios' Phase 5 slate is packed with heavy hitters, from Captain America: New World Order to Daredevil: Born Again, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania falls at the top of the food chain. After two bite-sized outings for Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, his latest adventure will scale up as the lead-in to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty with the arrival of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.
Fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the public release of the first trailer, which has already been hinted by one producer to be coming this fall, potentially ahead of November's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But lucky attendees of San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo already had the chance to catch an exclusive trailer that was packed with Easter eggs and teases of what's to come.
So, without further or do, The Direct breaks down 12 Easter eggs and major details that were hidden in the convention-exclusive debut trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
1.) Avengers: Endgame References
During a car journey, Hope turns on the radio which is playing Scott's audiobook, Look Out For the Little Guy, revealing he had been listening to it himself. The book includes references to Avengers: Endgame as Lang describes the events of the Time Heist and an accident in an early time travel test that turned him into a baby.
Ms. Marvel previously noted how Scott had been publicly open about the events of Endgame as it was revealed he appeared on a podcast called This Powered Life in an episode titled "Big Me, Little Me - A Scott Lang Interview."
2.) Scott Lang: As Famous As Paul Rudd
After having joined the ranks of the Avengers in Endgame, Scott Lang has clearly become something of a celebrity in the years since, something that gets explored through a short montage in the trailer. But Scott's daughter Cassie clearly shows her lack of fondness for her father's newfound fame.
Among the footage was Lang being named Baskin Robbins' Employee of All-Time, a reference to his brief employment at the Ice Cream Parlor in Ant-Man. Gregg Turkington's Dale, otherwise known as the "Baskin-Robbins always finds out" guy, even made a surprise return in the trailer.
3.) A Casual Spider-Man Nod
Among the footage showcasing Scott's fame was a reference to Spider-Man as a stranger confused his Ant-Man identity for the iconic wall-crawler. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness similarly referenced Spider-Man recently, confirming that, while the world has forgotten Peter Parker, his heroic self is still out there.
4.) WandaVision's Jimmy Woo Returns
Scott was also shown to be enjoying a coffee with Jimmy Woo, his parole officer from previous Ant-Man movies who also appeared in WandaVision. This appears to suggest Lang is now clear of his parole and the two have since remained friends. Perhaps the events of the reality-bending sitcom will be discussed. Maybe this will even bring the set-up for the virally-demanded Woo Files spin-off.
5.) What's Cassie Been Up To?
Quantumania's debut trailer treated fans to a taste of what Cassie Lang has been up to since her childhood days in Ant-Man and the Wasp and her grown-up cameo in Avengers: Endgame - aside from obviously being recast from Emma Fuhrmann to Kathryn Newton.
Well, firstly, Scott and Hope were shown bailing Cassie out of jail, so clearly she has picked up her father's criminal tendencies. But she had also gained some scientific expertise and built a two-way walkie-talkie for communication with the Quantum Realm - perhaps it was stealing the parts for this that landed her in a cell.
6.) Ant-Man Family Enter Quantum Realm
Cassie may have developed some technological know-how, but that appears to have landed the whole Ant-Man family in a world of trouble. Most of the family was impressed, but Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne called for her to turn it off - a warning that came too late as the device sucks them into the Quantum Realm.
7.) Bill Murray's History with Janet
After doing some exploration of the Quantum Realm, the group comes into contact with Bill Murray's Krylar, who recognized Janet, presumably from her in the micro-dimension, declaring how he believed her to be dead. One can only wonder how close these two may have been during the many years Janet spent there.
8.) Is Ant-Man's Death Looming?
With Ant-Man and his band of shrinking heroes going up against Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror, who will soon become the Avengers' new big threat, many have speculated he may not survive Quantumania. These fears will only be worsened by the shot of a bloodied Scott Lang in the trailer.
9.) Was that Loki's TVA?
Cassie Lang was also seen being escorted through a hallway that closely resembles Loki's TVA by a number of blue-masked workers. As Cassie was later shown being held captive by Kang, that only adds to the odds of this being the TVA as the conqueror was already revealed to be behind the bureaucratic organization.
10.) MODOK's Masked Identity
But Kang the Conqueror isn't the only villain of Quantumania, as fans caught a quick glimpse at the infamous big-headed MODOK. Unlike his comic counterpart, the MCU's MODOK has a golden face with crimson red eyes, but he keeps intact his large head and iconic head-beam. One can only wonder if this indicates MODOK will be fully robotic or perhaps wearing a covering to conceal his face.
11.) Cassie Lang's Young Avenger
Among parts of the trailer, Kathryn Newton's Cassie can be seen wearing her own purple take on the Ant-Man suit, as was better shown on the first poster. This marks the first stage of Lang's journey to become either Stature or Stinger, two names she has gone by as a member of the Young Avengers.
12.) Jonathan Majors' Kang Revealed
After meeting He Who Remains in Loki, the Ant-Man threequel finally brings the first taste of the real deal, the Avengers' next big threat: Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. The Multiverse Saga's major foe sports his iconic green and purple suit, possesses telekinetic powers, and teases a history of killing Avengers.
On top of getting the first peek at how Kang the Conqueror will be adapted into the MCU, fans got a taste of how he ties into Quantumania. After taking Cassie prisoner, Kang demanded Scott's help as "somebody stole something from [him]," and he is "the only one who can steal it back:"
"Just a man, who's lost a lot of time, like you. But we can help each other with that. Somebody stole something from me, and you're the only one who can steal it back. So, do we have a deal?"
What's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania About?
In between Endgame and Quantumania, Scott has clearly found some sense of fame, which has created distance from his daughter Cassie. But while their relationship has been struggling, the young Lang looks to have developed some scientific expertise and criminal tendencies, leading to her creation of a Quantum Realm walkie-talkie to communicate with those within.
Unfortunately, as something goes wrong with this device, the family will be sucked in the Quantum Realm where they will encounter Kang the Conqueror. Taking Cassie hostage, Kang looks to be demanding Scott's help to recover something he needs, citing him as the only one who can get this mysterious MacGuffin back.
One can only assume Scott will accept these demands that will almost certainly set the stage for whatever plan he may have for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Throw in encounters with MODOK and Bill Murray along the way, and that appears to be the basis of Quantumania, but Marvel Studios undoubtedly has some surprises planned as always.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17, 2023.
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