Sometimes the smallest things can pack the biggest punch. If you were swept
up in the grandeur of the Quantum Realm, you may have missed these
small but important bits of story in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
Scott Lang's brief employment at Baskin-Robbins is one of the first jokes in the "Ant-Man" series,
and it factored heavily into the marketing for "Quantumania."
In the first film, when Scott is unable to get a job anywhere else, he applies to the ice cream
chain using a fake name: Jack. He gets the gig, but almost immediately loses it when
his boss finds out he lied on his application and that he's actually a notorious burglar.
"You found out."
"Baskin-Robbins always finds out."
However, as much of a rule follower as he might be, manager Dale respects Scott for
sticking it to the man and tells him to steal a smoothie as he's leaving.
Flash forward to the beginning of the MCU's Phase 5 and Scott's life has changed considerably. He's
become a celebrity, especially in his home city of San Francisco. Scott is honored as
Baskin-Robbins' Employee of the Century. He attends the ceremony with a returning
Dale wearing his Ant-Man suit, but if you look closely at the plaque on the wall,
the photo is one of a listless Scott wearing a name tag that says "Jack."
A variant "Jack" shows up in his Baskin-Robbins uniform when the real Ant-Man gets caught in a
probability storm while trying to help Kang resize the fuel source for his ship. Later,
a nervous Dale misspells the word "birthday" on Cassie's inedible ice cream cake.
After playing an important role in the events of "Avengers:
Endgame," Scott has embarked on a career as a media personality,
and eagle-eyed viewers have been noticing it in various recent MCU offerings. In
"Hawkeye," an actor plays Ant-Man in the musical theater adaptation of the Battle of New York.
"You know who wasn't there? Was that guy. Ant-Man."
Kamala Khan mentions a podcast interview Scott did on a show called "This Powered Life" in the
first episode of "Ms. Marvel." A promotional spot for his memoir "Look Out for the Little Guy!" even
shows up on the news crawl during Anderson Cooper's CNN broadcast in "Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever." While he may have once been stuck under house arrest,
Ant-Man is now arguably the most publicly visible living Avenger.
Scott spending more time on his personal brand than on saving the world is a key
part of the plot of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," at least from Cassie's perspective.
"Dad, are you listening to your own book?"
"Hm? No. That's, uh, that's just the radio."
It's also another running joke. From his family's reactions, we can tell he talks about his book a
lot and that he's bought into his own celebrity perhaps a little more than he should have.
However, Marvel is hoping Scott's appeal extends beyond the MCU and into our world
and our timeline. Fans can currently pre-order a real copy of Scott Lang's "Look Out for the Little
Guy!" though they'll apparently have to wait all the way until September 5th, 2023 to actually read
the 256-page fictional autobiography. We're sure it'll be a riveting read.
Scott first met Jimmy Woo when the former member of SHIELD turned FBI agent was assigned to his
case after he ran afoul of the Sokovia Accords. Though Scott's ex-wife Maggie
gets annoyed whenever Jimmy comes barging in during Scott's house arrest, the lawman and
the lawbreaker have a friendlier relationship than their circumstances would suggest. Woo
is fascinated by Scott's close-up magic tricks, a skill Scott taught himself with the help of online
videos during his sentence. As "Ant-Man and the Wasp" plays out, Jimmy can be seen watching the
same videos and trying out the same tricks. When Scott's sentence is up, Jimmy says he'll
probably have to arrest him again someday, but he also half-heartedly invites him to hang out.
When Woo appears again in "WandaVision," he uses close-up magic to introduce himself to
Monica Rambeau, having finally mastered Scott's routine. "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" pays off this ongoing bit beautifully when Scott Lang performs
the same trick with a credit card as an offer to pay for Woo's meal. It
seems these one-time adversaries have put the past behind them after all.
The snap at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War" was the biggest thing to happen in the MCU,
and its effects continue to reverberate throughout the franchise. Early in Phase 4,
the blip in which half of humanity was wiped out was treated as a global humanitarian crisis. We
saw how it affected Monica Rambeau, who lost her mother to cancer as SWORD fell into the hands of
Tyler Hayward. We also saw how the Flag Smashers posed problems for governments when large numbers
of refugees were displaced after the reappearance of those who'd been lost five years before. But
as the post-Infinity Saga MCU continued, each project reckoned with the blip a little less.
Now Cassie has taken up the cause of the disenfranchised. She's not a Flag Smasher,
but she does mention how the reversal of the blip worsened San Francisco's already dire
housing affordability problem. Near the start of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," Scott
gets a call from jail after Cassie's been arrested while protesting the removal of
unhoused people from public spaces. She's wearing a t-shirt with a graphic of planet Earth on it,
which could indicate that Cassie fancies herself an environmental activist. But it could also mean
she believes in something like the Flag Smashers' anti-nationalist philosophy. Even if Scott's
idealistic teenage daughter isn't officially affiliated with any political organization,
her concern is proof that the blip is a problem that has yet to be completely resolved.
In the "Ant-Man" movies, it isn't just our heroes that shrink and grow. Enlarged Pez dispensers,
huge-seeming toy trains, as well as miniaturized motor vehicles and multi-story office buildings,
all get put to use in creative ways thanks to Hank's technology. The most
recognizable large-scale prop might be the Pym family home,
a distinctive three-level Victorian with a corner spire and ornate gold trim.
The Pym house isn't just pretty to look at. It becomes important to the plot of the first film
when Hank sets up Scott to break in so that the inventor can assess the ex-con's skills.
"We broke into this spooky-ass house, didn't we?"
"I let you."
By the end of the second movie, when Janet returns after 30 years in the Quantum Realm only to find
her daughter and husband wanted by the FBI, the family downsizes, literally, and relocates the
house to the beach. Unfortunately, Hank, Janet, and Hope all become victims of the snap while
Scott is in the Quantum Realm, meaning the beautiful home sits vacant for five years.
Things appear to be back to normal at the start of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," as Hank,
Janet, Hope, Scott, and Cassie all share a supersized pizza around the dinner table.
The house -- which is a real property in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury
neighborhood -- has returned to roughly its original location.
A recurring MCU visual motif that began a while ago and continues into Phase 5
is gold rings. Doctor Strange's Sling Ring and the portals it opens as well
as the architecture of the Sanctum Sanctorum fit in with this theme. So
do Shang-Chi's Ten Rings and Kamala Khan's bangles. Likewise, "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" is full of shiny, round imagery, much of which is likely inspired by the comics.
The setting, tone, and visual style of the third "Ant-Man" represent a noticeable
departure from the first two films, which were more grounded in the real world. Here,
we spend most of the runtime exploring the civilization that evolved in the secret
universe underneath our own. Janet calls it "Sub-Atomica" and it resembles a "Star Wars"
prequel planet more than anything we've seen in the MCU. Director Peyton Reed has
helmed episodes of "The Mandalorian," so this likely isn't by accident. Kang's city features
countless circular designs, while his ship and its energy core have a similar aesthetic.
Though none of these words and phrases are used in the movie, this is probably the MCU's version of
Chronopolis, Kang's fortress and home base. Kang's ship resembles the ship in his first appearance in
Avengers #8, and the engine core could be based on the Forever Crystal or the Light of the Centuries
Sphere. The MCU seems to be unifying the look and function of many of its magical objects.
Most death scenes are played for drama, but that's not the case with M.O.D.O.K. The
Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing is actually a not-quite-dead Darren Cross,
recovered by Kang after Ant-Man sent Yellowjacket into the Quantum Realm in
the first "Ant-Man" movie. M.O.D.O.K. is loyal to Kang for saving his life,
but the movie makes it clear that Kang barely gives his grotesque henchman the time of day.
A repentant, but fatally wounded Darren tries to have a warm fuzzy moment with Hank,
his former mentor, and Scott, his former rival, telling them they were like family
before declaring himself an Avenger. He also notices that Hope has changed her hair.
Most of this awkwardly comedic scene calls back to the complicated relationships between Hank,
Hope, Darren, and Scott from the first "Ant-Man." This one-liner,
however, is a reference to the comics and the second film.
The MCU has blurred the lines between the comics' versions of Janet and Hope,
making Janet older and more of a supporting
presence while giving Hope many of Janet's characteristics from the source material.
Hope's new shaggy pixie haircut and her more pigmented, higher-contrast black and yellow super
suit are both more comics-accurate than how the character was portrayed in "Ant-Man and the Wasp."
By far, the most talked-about Easter eggs in "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" can be found in the post-credits scenes,
the first of which makes good on a promise that now two different variants have made.
In "Loki," He Who Remains warns that if Sylvie chose to kill him,
the void of his absence would be filled by something much worse: more Kangs. When Ant-Man,
the Wasp, and a suited-up Cassie try to conquer the Conqueror, he too suggests that the multiverse
is a more stable place under his thumb than it would be in the midst of all-out multiversal war.
It sure seems like Scott and Hope killed the Kang imprisoned in the Quantum Realm,
and in the mid-credits stinger, an arena full of Kangs reacts to the news. This is
the Council of Kangs, a massive group that assembles in the comics to deal
with problem variants. The storyline unfolds in "Avengers" #267 to #269.
The final shot of the mid-credits stinger is a faithful recreation of
an especially creepy panel depicting The Council of Cross-Time Kangs,
which isn't exactly the same thing as the Council of Kangs.
An Interdimensional Council of Reeds would follow in "Fantastic Four" #570,
and famously, "Rick and Morty" would ape the idea with the Council of Ricks.
"Hey! What do you know, it's a cowboy version of me!"
"Geez, you're easy to impress."
"Rick and Morty" writer Jeff Loveness wrote the script for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"
and is currently slated to pen the upcoming "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" for Marvel Studios.
While there are what looks to be hundreds of Kangs in the mid-credits stinger, three variants
take center stage. Their alter egos advertise big things to come in Kang's and in the MCU's future.
One of these variants is dressed like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. This is undoubtedly Rama-Tut,
a variant of Nathaniel Richards who time-traveled back to Egypt in about 2900 B.C. and became their
god-like ruler. Pharaoh Rama-Tut's plot intertwines with those of Moon Knight,
as well as Doctor Strange, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four.
In the middle of the trio stands a Kang wearing a tall headpiece and a large neckpiece. We can
safely guess that this is Immortus, a future iteration of Kang who often
battles his younger selves and the Avengers. Immortus commands the Time Keepers in the
comics as he lords over the realm of Limbo, from which he can come and go as he pleases.
The identity of the third Kang variant is less obvious. It could be either Scarlet Centurion
or Iron Lad, but he doesn't perfectly match the comic description of either, so it's possible
he could be a different character from the comics or a new character created for the MCU.
Season 1 of "Loki" ends as the title character realizes what He
Who Remains predicted has indeed come to pass. Loki runs to tell Mobius,
who no longer remembers who his prisoner slash partner is. "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" ends with a post-credits scene that serves as a teaser for "Loki" Season 2.
"See you soon."
A man, played by Jonathan Majors, is giving some sort of scientific demonstration in
what appears to be early 1900s America. In the crowd, we spot Loki. He seems to
feel some sense of accomplishment at having tracked down the man on stage,
but he looks worried nonetheless. The man standing next to him is revealed to be Mobius,
and he doesn't understand what's so scary about the steampunky-looking huckster.
Not only does this post-credits stinger set up a possible mission for the duo in "Loki" Season 2,
but it also confirms that another important Kang variant will be a factor going forward.
The gentleman they've located across time and space is likely Victor Timely, a Kang variant
who travels to 1901 and uses his limitless knowledge to become a powerful industrialist.
The first season of "Loki" leaned hard into its mid-century vibes,
and it will be interesting if Season 2 embraces more of a turn-of-the-century aesthetic. Beyond
that, the dapper Victor Timely would make an excellent foil to the charming God of Mischief.