Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has been in theaters for almost two weeks now, and fans are still reeling from the extremely significant post-credits scenes it included.
Particularly, theories about Kang the Conqueror variants and the implications their inclusions may have are beginning to crop up in MCU discourse circles, with even the film's director, Peyton Reed, weighing in.
These can range from Fantastic Four connections to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty speculations, but they all circle back to how Kang will impact the MCU's future.
With the introduction of the Council of Kangs, and the specific focuses on Rama-Tut, Immortus, and the Scarlet Centurion, fans are excited to see what is in store for the time-traveling villain.
Who Are the Kangs at the End of Ant-Man: Quantumania?
In an interview with Screen Rant, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania producer and VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios Stephen Broussard opened up about the mid-credit scene of the third Ant-Man film and its implications moving forward.
Broussard began recapping what it means that the Kangs seen were Variants, reminding fans that He Who Remains in Loki and the version "in the body [of]" Quantumania are takes on Kang from other timelines.
He teased that the glimpse in the mid-credit scene shows "a little bit of ... where it's going:"
"I think the biggest is spoilery territory. It’s that mid-credits tag. You’ve met versions of this character that Jonathan plays in 'Loki,' you’ve seen him in the body [of] this film, and you see a little bit of tag at the end of where it’s going."
He continued, emphasizing the importance of "possibility" when it comes to Kang. This concept was explored in Quantumania, with the seemingly infinite Scott Langs working together, each being a possibility of what Scott could be. Broussard further notes that the scene highlights the "infinitude of [Kangs] out there:"
"What that tag says to me, as far as the larger implications, is possibility. This character, who can be anything and is formidable and dangerous in any guise you’ve seen him [in] so far, there is an infinitude of them out there. It’s really interesting where it can all go."
Broussard then touches on the connection between Kang and the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, reminding fans to "expect the unexpected with Kang:"
"The torch has been passed. I would not presume to tell the movie that Destin should be making, but I know they’re hard at work on that. And clearly, Kang is in the title of that. Expect the unexpected with Kang, which is what’s exciting to me because of how varied each version has been."
Expecting the Unexpected with Kang
It may seem like a given to "expect the unexpected with Kang," since there are so many individual versions of that one character. As such, the actions of one may not indicate the actions of others.
However, it is still exciting to speculate what may be in store for Kang, however many fans may see. Rama-Tut, for instance, indicates a Fantastic Four connection, given that the team encountering that variant of Kang is one of its most iconic early stories.
Further, the room of Kangs was massive. If there really is an "infinitude of [Kangs] out there," fans could look forward to seeing Iron Lad or Mister Gryphon in the future too.
A common joke in comic fan circles is if there is a villain, it could be Kang. Who did that? Probably Kang. It seems that this trend could be coming to the MCU as well. Regardless, more of Kang is to come.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is playing in theaters now.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
