USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Ant- Man’ end credits tease to a cluster of Kangs
Spoiler alert! The following post discusses important plot points and the ending of “Ant- Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.
The ending of “Ant- Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is like Oprah Winfrey comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: You get a Kang and you get a Kang and yooooooou get a Kang!
The latest superhero adventure ( in theaters now) introduces Kang the Conqueror ( Jonathan Majors) as the franchise’s latest supervillain. Ant- Man ( Paul Rudd) faces this time- traveling space king and his forces, the Avenger wins ( of course), but more important – courtesy of a couple of brain- scrambling end- credits scenes – the stage is set for not just one but endless Kangs as future foes.
You’ve probably got questions. We have ( some) answers.
Kang the Conqueror looks familiar. Have we met him before?
Kind of! In the first- season finale of Marvel’s “Loki” series on Disney+, which explored the concepts of alternate- reality versions of characters within the Multiverse, Loki ( Tom Hiddleston) and his variant Sylvie ( Sophia Di Martino) traveled to the end of time to confront He Who Remains ( Majors), an apple- chomping, mercurial Kang variant in charge of maintaining order of the many timelines.
He delivers a CliffsNotes version of the history of Kangs – some of whom “aren’t so pure of heart” – and also a warning: “I keep you safe. And if you think I’m evil, well, just wait till you meet my variants.” When Sylvie plunges a blade in his chest anyway, he says before dying, “I’ll see you soon,” knowing that “an infinite amount of me” will begin a multiversal war.
What’s up with all the different Kangs in the ‘ Ant- Man 3’ post- credits scenes?
The first end- credits scene cuts to a trio of Kangs ( all played by Majors), perhaps the ones who exiled the Conqueror to the Quantum Realm in the first place. “You’re sure he’s dead?” asks a pharaoh-dressed character who appears to be Rama- Tut from the comic books. “If it wasn’t true, I wouldn’t call you,” says a futuristic- looking second guy, likely inspired by the comics’ Scarlet Centurion ( though he’s more blue than red so let’s just label him Centurion for now).
A third Kang with an impressively large helmet ( who looks an awful lot like Immortus from the comics) is more concerned with other matters. “They’re beginning to touch the Multiverse,” Immortus says about these pesky heroes who might mess up their plans. “So let’s stop wasting time. We’re late.” Centurion asks how many he called, and Immortus answers, “All of us,” as they enter an amphitheater filled with countless Kang variants. ( We’re going to go out on a limb and say this is the MCU equivalent of the Council of Kangs and they’re probably up to no good.)
Who in blue blazes is this Victor Timely guy?
The second end- credits scene doubles as a teaser for the second season of “Loki” ( premiering later this year on Disney+). An old- timey audience listens intently to Victor Timely ( Majors again), a bespectacled gentleman with a message: “Time is everything. It shapes our lives. But perhaps we can shape it.” Cut to Loki and Time Variance Authority agent Mobius ( Owen Wilson) in the crowd. “You made him sound like a terrifying figure,” Mobius cracks. “He is,” Loki says, worried.
The Timely from the comics was a Kang variant operating in small- town Wisconsin circa 1901 who used future technology to influence a simpler world, though perhaps this is the 31st- century Kang that He Who Remains talked about who discovered the multiverse? Time will tell. ( Pun very much intended.)
Is there a connective thread within all these Kangs?
When that same question is posed to Majors, he tells USA TODAY, “The thing that makes a Kang a Kang, the DNA of a Kang, what is that? I have an idea of what it is, and I am placing it in each one.”
He acknowledges that “I cannot discuss it,” but feels that “the curiosity around Kang is something that is going to keep me going and hopefully will keep the audiences ( intrigued). People will critique Kang and say, ‘ What is it about this guy? What’s happening?’ and try to find that germ. There is that something. I don’t even know if I can articulate it quite yet.”
Is Kang the Conqueror really dead?
He did seem to meet a rather bad fate by being sucked into his time- travel device in the “Quantumania” climax, but come on now: This prime- time Kang is a good bet to return. (“Kang will return” even shows up at the end of the credits.) He could be back as soon as “Loki” Season 2 or maybe he finds his way into “Fantastic Four” ( in theaters Feb. 14, 2025) since Kang in the comics also is a frequent antagonist of Marvel’s First Family.
The latter might be a nice setup right before “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” ( May 2, 2025) arrives on its heels. Plus, who wouldn’t love the gift of Kang for Valentine’s Day?