The number of reveals MCU fans were treated to at San Diego Comic-Con this year still rattles the mind. From announcements of future projects years away to new trailers and exclusive first looks, there will be plenty to keep fans talking for a long time (or at least until September's D23 Expo). Some morsels were saved only for the attendees, and one of those was a glimpse at 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
This is standard practice for Comic-Con appearances by companies of all stripes, and it falls to word of mouth from the boots on the ground at the convention to let the rest of the world in on what they got to see. Sometimes these trailers give an open eye to new characters and locales, like the Secret Invasion trailer did for Emilia Clarke's character. The Quantumania special look gave the audience their first taste of Kang the Conqueror, which surely had those in attendance eager for the Multiversal warlord's full debut in the film.
Kang wasn't the only new character fans were given a look at, though. Beloved actor Bill Murray also appeared, confirming for the first time that he's starring in the Ant-Man threequel as well. For those who couldn't make the convention, here's what was missed.
Bill Murray Makes His MCU Debut in Quantumania
The first look at Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was shown exclusively to San Diego Comic-Con attendees at Marvel's Hall H mega panel. Multiple outlets had representatives in the room when the panel took place, and from them there's a glimpse to be had at Bill Murray's character in the upcoming film.
Yahoo Entertainment describes the trailer as seeing the Ant-Man family all being sucked into the Quantum Realm, but not before Paul Rudd's Scott Lang picks his daughter Cassie up from jail. The full gang is here: Scott, Cassie, and the Van Dynes (Hank, Janet, and Hope) all return, and Janet reassures everyone that she knows what to do, given her extended stay in the Realm. This leads to a door opening to reveal Murray's appearance in a role that's yet to be disclosed.
Murray is introduced with a classic movie first line: "Janet Van Dyne, I thought you were dead," according to Collider.
As noted by The Wrap, the trailer sheds light on entire societies that live in the Quantum Realm, and Bill Murray's character is one such denizen. Joblo relates that Murray is watching over Janet in some way while she's there.
The location for all this is confirmed to be a bizarre looking city in the Quantum Realm by Gamesradar, and it seems Bill Murray is the man in charge.
The Ant Family Vacations to Exotic Chronopolis?
With all this in mind, perhaps what sticks out the most is the mention of a city in the Quantum Realm. Fans with sharp memories and sharper eyes will likely note that a city in a dome was seen in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and many have theorized that city to be Chronopolis, the headquarters of Kang himself.
Janet almost certainly stayed in this city for at least some of the time she spent in the Realm, so she's likely to consider it a safe haven. It would seem she's interacted with Murray's character in the past and that they're at least relatively familiar with one another, but the exact details of their relationship remain unclear.
Eyewitness accounts of the trailer note that Murray's character is either the ruler of the city or a figure of some kind of authority within it. Perhaps Kang has yet to take over the city outside of time when the gang arrives, or Murray's character may simply be a lapdog of the time-bending warlord. If he's working for Kang, it's probably a safe bet to assume Janet doesn't know.
If Murray isn't working for him, then this could be the point in time (or outside it) when the Conqueror first appears to claim his base of operations. An attack on this city would give an easy avenue to unite the Ant family against the villain, though they may be a bit out of their league against a figure of such power.
Ultimately, Murray's role remains undisclosed, and it's just as likely as not that his character is an invention for the screen rather than a comic role. Marvel has dabbled with Kang's henchmen in the past though, as Judge Renslayer from Loki is a classic compatriot (and romantic interest) of the villain.
Fans will have to see for themselves when they return to the Quantum Realm with Scott and the crew.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania debuts in theaters on February 17, 2023.
