Warning: spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are ahead!Did Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kill off Kang the Conqueror? The third Ant-Man film has finally debuted in theaters around the world, and so Phase 5 has begun. It started on some shaky foundations given the polarizing response to Phase 4’s structure and narrative, but hopes were high for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Unfortunately, the slumping trend is seemingly continuing as the film has received mixed reviews from critics. While some elements and moments could use some fine-tuning or don’t meld with audiences’ expectations, there are equally as many entertaining aspects worth appreciating and celebrating about the film. Particularly, Jonathan Major’s performance as Kang is being rightfully touted.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania revealed a lot, but still left important questions unanswered to further both individual and the overarching multiversal narrative. As the launching pad for Phase 5, it excitingly showcased just a mere fraction of the destructive potential facing the MCU’s heroes. Certainly, Majors has many exciting things on the horizon for him in the MCU as Kang, including the aptly named Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Despite its flaws, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania proved that the time-traveling, multiversal conqueror is the perfect villain for the MCU’s ever-evolving story, and even the end result demonstrates that.
Kang Dies In Ant-Man: The Wasp: Quantumania
Significantly, Kang does not win at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That’s not to say, though, that Ant-Man beat Kang. Nevertheless, they actually did the completely unexpected and killed off Kang for now. Fueled by his love for Cassie and the anger from Kang threatening her, Ant-Man was able to power through and ensure their mutual defeat. He sacrificed his ticket home, blowing up Kang’s multiversal engine after an incredibly brutal fight between the two. Kang attempts to escape in the portal, but Wasp heroically comes to the rescue. Together they push him into the volatile engine, and he is pulled into oblivion, seemingly killing him.
This thrilling moment should be taken with a grain of salt, of course. In the comics, death is far from permanent. Add in Kang’s capabilities and history, and his status is a bit more ambiguous. He wasn’t disintegrated nor did audiences see the life leave his body. In the first post-credits, the Council of Kangs presumes that he is indeed dead. Yet, as with Scott’s internal monologue at the end, his fate is in question.
Quantumania’s Kang Is The MCU’s Second Variant To Die
This Kang is different from He Who Remains from Loki, but they seemingly shared the same fate. This is the second case of a version of Kang being killed in the MCU. In Loki, the finale culminates in Sylvie killing He Who Remains in revenge for the horrors his TVA has wrought on the Multiverse and her life personally. Interestingly, this act is never actually shown, but rather implied. Therefore, perhaps, things played out differently than audiences have initially read it.
This moment in Loki plays then into its stinger in which Loki is transported back to the TVA only to discover someone new is in charge. He sees a statue of Kang ruling over the TVA, and it’s presumably the same Kang from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s interesting now to consider how that reveal connects to Kang’s current situation – whether Loki takes place before, after, or concurrently with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
When Will Kang Or His Variants Return In The MCU?
Loki season 2 will feature more Kang as confirmed by the second post-credits stinger from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It shows Loki and Mobius at a demonstration by Victor Timely, played by Majors. Loki remarks on his horror of the man, noting that he is evil. Intriguingly, Victor Timely’s inclusion here might play right into the ponderous question relating to these two projects. As in the comics, he might actually be Prime Kang, the true villain threatening the MCU. This would mean that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Kang isn’t dead and that Majors could be a recurring star in Loki.
Of course, another place to expect Kang and his variants to appear is in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also introduced Immortus, Rama-Tut, and possibly Scarlet Centurion – although that’s not as certain as the first two – as leaders of the Council of Kangs. They’re also Kang’s enemies since they were responsible for his exile in the Quantum Realm. Such could mean Kang is brought back for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and works with the Avengers to thwart their plans, or more likely as a powerful third adversary to them both.
The introduction of the Council of Kangs does present a chance that Majors could actually pop up in many upcoming projects – albeit in cameos to push forward the connective tissue of the Multiversal Saga. Logical options would be Fantastic Four, given his connection to the team in the comics, and Deadpool 3 as it’s about characters crossing the Multiverse. This also allows for more prominent Kang variants to be introduced, including Iron Lad, Kid Immortus, and Mr. Gryphon. As such, Kang the Conqueror’s fate and role at this moment following Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is far more complex than it might seem.
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