Who Trapped Kang In The Quantum Realm? Every Possibility

Kang is trapped in the Quantum Realm during Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but the identity of who defeated him before is a mystery. As the first movie of Phase 5, the presence of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror is one of many reasons why Ant-Man 3 is set to be a very different entry for the franchise. All eyes are on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new overarching villain and how the movie uses him before key roles in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. He must first escape the Quantum Realm before he turns his attention toward conquering the multiverse, though.

The final Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer makes it clear that Kang the Conqueror is trapped in the Quantum Realm and that he has been for some time. He is heard talking to Scott Lang about how much time he has missed. While this seemingly sets up Ant-Man 3's main story with Scott reluctantly agreeing to work with Kang, the question remains how the multiversal villain was trapped in the Quantum Realm to begin with. It teases that he was defeated before by someone (or some team) years before, and there are several intriguing candidates for who could have trapped Kang in the Quantum Realm years ago.

1 He Who Remains

The most likely candidate for who trapped Kang in the Quantum Realm before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is arguably his variant, He Who Remains. The powerful Kang variant debuted in Loki and was revealed to be the keeper of the Sacred Timeline. The show might have even already revealed that He Who Remains is behind Kang the Conqueror's entrapment. Loki's finale detailed a Multiversal War between different Kang variants that happened in the past. He Who Remains noted that the multiple Kangs fought each other, but that he was the one who came out on top and made it his goal to protect the timeline.

However, He Who Remains winning the Multiversal War might have included trapping Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum Realm. Due to how evenly matched they are with their powers, this might have been He Who Remains' only option to defeat this specific Kang variant. While leaving an evil Kang variant alive in this fashion might not seem like the smartest move, He Who Remains might also know that Kang has to be trapped in the Quantum Realm so he can play a role in starting the Multiversal War. In that case, Kang being trapped might be part of He Who Remains' master plan to oversee control of the multiverse again.

2 The TVA

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The Time Variance Authority could also be responsible for trapping Kang in the Quantum Realm. The TVA traditionally uses other methods to get rid of threats to the timeline, like sending them to The Void, but it is possible Kang is too dangerous to send there. Sending the villain to The Void would put him within reach of The Citadel, allowing him to potentially overthrow He Who Remains and take control of the Sacred Timeline. That would help explain the TVA's decision to put Ant-Man 3's Kang the Conqueror variant in the Quantum Realm. It is even possible then that Ravonna Renslayer played a part in defeating this Kang.

The other potential explanation for The TVA trapping Kang in the Quantum Realm is that it happened as a result of He Who Remains' death. Loki's finale teased that the TVA is under new leadership and in a bit of disarray after the multiple branched timelines started to form. This could open the door for a Kang variant to pop up and threaten the status of the Sacred Timeline. Instead of sending this threat to The Void and giving him an easy path to conquer the multiverse, a trip to the Quantum Realm could have happened as an alternative.

3 Janet van Dyne

It is also possible that Janet van Dyne trapped Kang in the Quantum Realm before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The movie's marketing has heavily teased a connection exists between Janet and Kang. Janet was trapped in the Quantum Realm for over 30 years after going subatomic in 1987 and spent the decades that followed living there until she was rescued in Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is quite clear that she at least knows of Kang, but the possibility also exists that their relationship goes much deeper. Some theories have speculated that she worked for Kang, but the reason she fears him could be tied to her betrayal.

There are clear parallels between Janet van Dyne and Kang the Conqueror's lives it seems. There is a chance that the two even decided to work together for a time to try and find a way to escape the Quantum Realm. However, it might only have been after getting to know Kang better that Janet realized how evil he really is. Instead of continuing to work with Kang to get free, Janet may have destroyed their progress. While she got out thanks to Hank Pym in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Janet van Dyne could have played a role in keeping Kang trapped in the Quantum Realm for a bit longer.

4 Reed Richards

There is a chance that Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four could be responsible for trapping Kang in the Quantum Realm too. Admittedly more of a long shot at this point, but the MCU is beginning to introduce Marvel's First Family. John Krasinski's Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes before the MCU brings a new version to the main timeline. It could be any Mister Fantastic variant from across the multiverse who played a role in putting Kang in the position he is in during Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Kang and the Fantastic Four have fought multiple times in the comics, but the connection runs deeper depending on the continuity. Kang is also known as Nathaniel Richards, making him a distant descendant of Reed Richards (but Marvel has gone back and forth on that decision). Marvel's upcoming Fantastic 4 movie that begins Phase 6 could ultimately reveal that Kang the Fantastic Four have met before in the MCU, with Reed defeating the variant and trapping him in the Quantum Realm. This would help establish the need for the Fantastic Four to play a huge role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

5 A Multiverse Avengers Team

Marvel may have also tipped its hand in early Ant-Man 3 marketing materials about who trapped Kang in the Quantum Realm. When Marvel Studios first shared footage for the movie at conventions, it included a line where Kang taunts Ant-Man about killing Avengers in the past. This line has yet to be featured in any publicly released Ant-Man 3 trailers, meaning it might not be kept in the final movie or Marvel is now trying to protect the surprise. If it is the latter, then the signs are already in place that some version of the Avengers from across the multiverse is responsible for defeating Kang and trapping him here.

If a multiverse Avengers team did defeat Kang the Conqueror before, that will bring extra weight to the events of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. It means there might be certain Avengers that Kang is personally interested in defeating and getting revenge on, but Ant-Man is not one of them it seems. This would also be a potential vote of confidence for the MCU heroes assembled to fight Kang after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as there would be evidence that he can be stopped. He'll just need to escape from the Quantum Realm first.

More: Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania Trailer Spoils A Major Kang Plot Point