Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels recently swapped release dates, meaning that big changes could be in store for Captain Marvel's second movie. Now that Carol Danvers is once again active on Earth, it is likely that The Marvels will have a connection to the overarching story of the MCU. With Ant-Man 3 now coming out earlier, it is likely that these two subsequent films will have a strong influence on each other.
Ant-Man and the Wasp 3 is set to pick up where Loki left off, with the titular duo taking on Kang the Conqueror. With the film most likely including the multiverse and possibly even time travel, it is likely to have major ramifications on the MCU. On the other hand, not much is known about The Marvels. Beyond the fact that it will feature a trio of Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, most of the film's plot details are being kept under wraps. The Marvels was initially supposed to come out before Ant-Man 3, but Marvel may have shown its hand by flipping their release dates.
Although it could simply have to do with production struggles, it is entirely possible that the films' release dates were switched because Ant-Man 3 will have some influence on The Marvels. There are plenty of ways in which this could happen. Kang the Conqueror is incredibly powerful, so the chaos he causes in Ant-Man 3 could be so disastrous that it kicks off the plot of The Marvels. It seems that Kang will be the MCU's next Thanos, meaning that it is unlikely the villain will go away after Ant-Man 3. Scott Lang and Hope Pym could even end up making things worse, with their story directly leading into The Marvels.
The Marvels has cast several actors in undisclosed roles, with some theorizing that they may be the film's villains. However, now that Ant-Man 3 is coming first, it could be that Kang is also the villain of The Marvels. There is a precedent for films tying into each other even though release dates are shifted around. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness got moved around so that it was released after Spider-Man: No Way Home and the two films ended up being strongly connected. Ant-Man 3 and The Marvels' release dates could be another case of this, which makes both films all the more exciting.
Even if Kang doesn't appear in The Marvels directly, it is almost impossible for the film to outright ignore Ant-Man 3. At the least, there will probably be a throwaway line about Kang. It could also be that one of Ant-Man 3's post-credits scenes sets up The Marvels, whether it be a full scene or a trailer. Although it isn't guaranteed, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania's new release date means that it could have a major influence on The Marvels.
