New MCU Update Spoils Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man 3 Fate

By Sam Hargrave Updated:
Paul Rudd, Ant-Man, Kang the Conqueror

New evidence may have spoiled whether Paul Rudd's Ant-Man will survive his fight with Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Not only will Quantumania kickstart the MCU's Phase 5, but it will also prove to be a major piece of the Multiverse Saga puzzle as Jonathan Majors' Kang finally enters the fold before antagonizing Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and there's no denying he will be no small threat.

The debut trailer for Ant-Man 3 already hinted at Kang having murdered many Avengers in the past, and fans have been growing increasingly anxious for the safety of Paul Rudd's Scott Lang. After all, what better way to demonstrate the power behind the MCU's next big bad than killing off a major Avenger?

Kang actor Jonathan Majors commented on the chances of him killing Ant-Man after his Loki cameo, simply teasing, "we'll see." Now, that answer may finally have been revealed by a new report.

Will Paul Rudd's Ant-Man Survive His Fight With Kang?

Ant-Man, Quantumania, Paul Rudd
Marvel Studios

The Hollywood Reporter recently published a report discussing the 100 most powerful women in the movie-making business, and among them was showbiz lawyer Deborah Klein - who represents both Ant-Man's Paul Rudd and Nick Fury's Samuel L. Jackson.

The report noted that Rudd will continue his MCU tenure with "more Ant-Man and Avengers" movies, essentially spoiling that he will survive Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to make it into Avengers; The Kang Dynasty:

"Klein’s ever-prolific client Samuel L. Jackson continues his Marvel run with Secret Invasion and The Marvels, as does Paul Rudd with more Ant-Man and Avengers."

Many fans have speculated that Scott Lang won't make it out of Quantumania alive as he meets his demise at the hands of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. 

@amxndareviews shared a recent Quantumania trailer that featured a montage of Ant-Man's MCU highlights, adding that this may be in preparation for his demise:

"I know they didn’t just do a montage of Scott Lang’s best moments in this trailer… 

He’s going to die

#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania"

@wonpilesque noted their opinion that Ant-Man may be "the first person to die in the hands of Kang:"

"oh my baby scott lang is going to be the first person to die in the hands of kang, isnt he…"

@linsanity2012JP pointed out how Lang's death may be the perfect way to "introduce Kang as the new big bad of the MCU:

"Antman better die in quantumania, if you’re trying to introduce Kang as the new big bad of the MCU, what better way than killing scott lang"

Why Ant-Man Could Be Avengers 5's Most Important Hero

Ant-Man, Kang, Avengers 5
Marvel Studios

After sitting out Avengers: Infinity War, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man stepped up to be a major player in the team's plan to undo Thanos' efforts and bring back the snapped half of the universe in Endgame. In fact, Scott Lang was even the one to propose the idea as he brought the proposition of time travel to the table.

Going into Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, director Peyton Reed has already revealed Kang will be trapped in the Quantum Realm. This will be what leads him to recruit Ant-Man's help in order to free them both from the microscopic realm, something he will achieve through blackmail.

Ant-Man will likely help grant him this freedom in order to keep his family and friends safe, thereby exposing the Multiverse to the Avengers' next big threat and leading directly into The Kang Dynasty. Although who knows whether Kang will follow through on his promise to free Lang from the Quantum Realm with him.

Perhaps Ant-Man will actually be the one to bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes back together and warn them of the threat of Kang - as he will be the team expert on the matter. This could actually lead to the shrinking hero taking on a starring role in the flick - joining the three key heroes already revealed for Avengers 5.

Nonetheless, this doesn't mean Ant-Man is completely out of the woods and safe from the threat of Kang the Conqueror. Just because he will likely survive Quantumania, he could still fall victim to the time-hopping villain, especially since Paul Rudd will be coming on a full decade in the MCU by this point.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17, 2023; Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will follow on May 2, 2025.

Release Date
February 17, 2023
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Sam Hargrave
Sam Hargrave is the Associate Editor at The Direct. He joined the team as a gaming writer in 2020 before later expanding into writing for all areas of The Direct and taking on further responsibilities such as editorial tasks and image creation.