Director Peyton Reed hinted at how Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will lay the groundwork for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Heading into Phase 5 of the MCU, Marvel Studios has a deep bench in terms of characters to revisit, as well as introduce, but the name on most fans' minds has to be Kang the Conqueror.
Following his set-up in Loki on Disney+, Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, is confirmed to make his MCU debut in Ant-Man 3.
Considering Kang is being positioned as the MCU's next big bad, when and where else he will appear remains to be seen. What audiences do know, however, is all roads lead to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Now, out ahead of the marketing push for Quantumania, Ant-Man director Peyton Reed teased how the next Ant-Man film sets the stage for Avengers 5.
How Quantumania Leads to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
In an interview with Empire, Peyton Reed elaborated on the connections between Ant-Man 3 and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, noting that Quantumania's writer is "writing The Kang Dynasty as well:"
“I think it has a profound impact on the MCU. Jeff Loveness, who wrote this movie, is writing The Kang Dynasty as well, so there’s been a lot of discussion about the impact that this appearance of Kang The Conqueror makes. There are big things in store.”
Of course, this isn't the first time a Marvel writer has been assigned a project that leads into another.
After writing Loki for Disney+, Michael Waldron tackled another Multiverse story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The fact that there's been "a lot of discussion" about Kang's impact bodes well for how the villain will be handled beyond Quantumania, especially since what he does now will tie into the next Avengers film.
As to what fans can expect from Kang's debut in Quantumania, Reed referred to him as "an all-timer antagonist," promising that Major's time-traveling malefactor will be "very different" than Loki's He Who Remains:
“Kang The Conqueror in our movie is a very different character. He’s someone who has dominion over time, and he’s a warrior and a strategist.”
The fact that the MCU's next big bad is squaring off against Paul Rudd's Ant-Man is quite a contrast.
But according to Reed, “That’s interesting to me: to take the tiniest, and in some people’s minds weakest, Avenger, and put them up against this absolute force of nature.”
Kang Won't Hold Back in Ant-Man 3
Since Quantumania's writer, Jeff Loveness, is also tackling The Kang Dynasty, it sounds as if Ant-Man 3 will be the best preview of what Marvel Studios has in store for this upcoming Avengers film. And, hopefully, it's good news in terms of connectivity.
While Peyton Reed was careful not to give too much away, a number of his comments and descriptions are worth paying attention to.
In addition to his tease about "big things in store," the director described Kang as a "warrior," "a strategist," a "force of nature," and having "dominion" over time itself.
This also supports what Majors claimed about his Kang being the "warrior version" of the comic book character.
If Quantumania's director is describing the villain in this way, it suggests that Kang's Ant-Man role isn't just a preview of coming events but rather an all-out display of his capabilities.
Perhaps Kang's Quantumania performance will be akin to Infinity War's opener, where Thanos defeated the Hulk for fun.
It will be fascinating to see how these events will influence the trajectory of the MCU moving forward. But in the meantime, the Marvel faithful can expect Ant-Man 3 to raise the stakes as the MCU heads into Phase 5 and beyond.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania arrives on February 17, 2023.
