Ant-Man 3 Can Set Up A Big Fantastic Four Battle (Thanks To 1 Character)

One character's introduction in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania can help to set up some major MCU storylines, particularly one featuring the Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios has been releasing more information in the build-up to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's release in February 2023, which will see Paul Rudd suit up once again as Ant-Man, traveling into the Quantum Realm with his size-changing team of heroes to go toe-to-toe with Kang the Conqueror, a variant of Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains from Loki. As well as developing established MCU characters, Quantumania will introduce several new heroes who have made the Quantum Realm their home.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will kick off the MCU's Phase 5, building on Phase 4's teases of Kang the Conqueror as the MCU's major villain in the wake of Thanos' devastation. The trailers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have set up an epic Quantum Realm adventure and a climactic hand-to-hand battle between Kang the Conqueror and Scott Lang. Along with Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer are returning, and Kathryn Newton will be making her MCU debut as a grown-up Cassie Lang, but the Quantum Realm is also home to several new MCU heroes, including one that could change the shape of the MCU significantly.

William Jackson Harper Is Playing Quaz In Ant-Man 3

william jackson harper as quaz in ant-man 3

Best known for his role as Chidi Anagonye in NBC's The Good Place and as Josh in Ari Aster's Midsommar, William Jackson Harper has been confirmed to be playing a part in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. After his casting in Quantumania, speculation rose about which Marvel Comics character Harper would be playing, with rumors even suggesting he could be playing the MCU proper's variant of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, after John Krasinski portrayed the character during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In January 2023, however, Harper was announced to be playing a character known as "Quaz."

While not much is known about Quaz and his role in the MCU, Harper's character was announced alongside other Quantum Realm figures named Veb (David Dastmalchian), Jentorra (Katy O'Brien), Lord Krylar (Bill Murray), and MODOK, bringing about the return of Corey Stoll from 2015's Ant-Man. Quaz has been mentioned to be a telepathic character who has been residing in the Quantum Realm, but since not much is yet known about him, many are wondering whether he's an original MCU character or adapted from a character in Marvel Comics. If the latter is the case, there's one clear comic character who William Jackson Harper could play in the MCU.

Quasar Could Finally Be Coming To The MCU - Marvel Comics Character Explained

quasar in marvel comics screaming as he flies through space

Quasar was introduced in 1979's The Incredible Hulk #234 and quickly became one of Marvel Comics' most iconic cosmic heroes after his previous appearances as Marvel Boy and then Marvel Man. As a graduate of the SHIELD Academy, Wendell Vaughn is deemed unfit for field work as he lacks a rigid will to win at all costs. However, on his first security detail mission, he finds himself donning the mysterious Quantum Bands, with his flexible will being the key to his quick mastery of the cosmic relics. As Quasar, he battles alongside the Avengers and even travels to an alternate reality with the Thing, a member of the Fantastic Four.

After the history of the Quantum Bands was explained to him by Eon, Quasar took up the position of Protector of the Universe, which opened his mind to the true extent of the Bands' power, including how they could be used to travel to another dimension known as the Quantum Zone. Quasar becomes an official Avenger on his return to Earth, battles in the Kree-Shi'ar War, and takes part in the 1992 Infinity War storyline in the fight against the Magus, an evil version of Adam Warlock. One adventure teamed Quasar up with Marvel's First Family in a battle against one of Marvel's most legendary villains.

Quantumania Could Set Up The MCU’s Fantastic Four

john krasinski as reed richards in doctor strange 2 from alternate Earth

If William Jackson Harper is playing Quasar in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, then the upcoming Marvel Studios project can help to set up some massive stories for the MCU's future. Marvel Studios has already teased the introduction of the Fantastic Four, thanks to Krasinski's divisive portrayal of Reed Richards on Earth-838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the official MCU Fantastic Four team is set to debut in 2025's Fantastic Four. Quasar's appearance in Quantumania would be a great way to tease his eventual team-up with the Fantastic Four, as well as hint at the debut of Galactus.

During the Fantastic Four and Quasar's crossover in Marvel Comics, the group battled Galactus in an effort to rescue a captured Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch. Rumors of the Fantastic Four's appearance during Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantmania were exacerbated by the appearance of a tiny city in the Quantum Realm during Ant-Man and the Wasp, as many thought that Marvel's First Family might have been trapped inside since the proposed 1960s setting of Fantastic Four. While no mention of the Fantastic Four has arisen during promotional material for Quantumania, the debut of Quasar in the film could help to tease the team even more.

Galactus Can Be The MCU’s Next Major Villain

galactus could be the next major villain in the mcu

The fact that Quasar and the Fantastic Four battle Galactus together in Marvel Comics helps to solidify fan theories that Galactus will have a major part to play in the MCU's very near future. It's been theorized that Galactus will be making an appearance during Phase 6's Fantastic Four, being reinvented by Marvel Studios after the character's previous, and horribly executed, debut during Fox's 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Galactus has big MCU potential, and he could even take his place as the next major villain after the Multiverse Saga wraps up Kang the Conqueror's storyline.

Marvel Studios will be releasing many new projects before the Multiverse Saga finally comes to an end with 2026's Avengers: Secret Wars, so there's no doubt that whatever seeds are planted for the next big bad will be small. Even so, with Fantastic Four on the horizon and more legendary heroes being introduced in the MCU, storylines will start to unravel very quickly. By debuting Quasar in the MCU as the character portrayed by William Jackson Harper, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could be one of the most significant projects in the MCU's upcoming slate.

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