Ant-Man is now in theaters, bringing Marvel's smallest Avenger to the big screen with an origin tale that features a surprising amount of weird science. In director Peyton Reed's film, brilliant scientist Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) "Pym Particles" are more than just a shrinking formula: they are, in fact, a portal to an entirely different realm, known in Marvel Comics lore as "The Microverse," but now referred to in the MCU as "The Quantum Realm."

The Ant-Man movie only scratches the surface of what The Quantum Realm is all about, but the nature of this new dimension in the MCU - a place beyond space and time - is one that will have a major impact on Marvel's Phase Three movies. So we are taking the liberty of discussing The Quantum Realm's Future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Needless to say: MAJOR SPOILERS for Ant-Man follow.

Feige Says So

Kevin Feige Marvel Studios President

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige already teased that The Quantum Realm would be a big deal in the MCU's future, before many fans ever saw Ant-Man and had an idea of what it even was.

For a recap, here's what Feige said in an  interview earlier this year:

...the truth is, there is so much in Ant-Man: introducing a new hero, introducing a very important part of technology in the Marvel universe, the Pym particles. Ant-Man getting on the Avengers’ radar in this film and even – this is the weirdest part, you shouldn’t really talk about it because it won’t be apparent for years – but the whole notion of the quantum realm and the whole notion of going to places that are so out there, they are almost mind-bendingly hard to fathom. It all plays into Phase Three.

To expand upon what Feige is saying, one only need look at the change of terminology when describing this new dimension. "The Microverse," is a name that clearly leans on the idea of shrinking and changing size (as Ant-Man is wont to do); however, "The Quantum Realm" is a name that can obviously be opened up to encompass a lot more than just the shrinking powers of Ant-Man. And here's what Marvel may have store for that new potential:

Strange Magic

Doctor Strange Movie Astral Plane - Quantum Realm

Marvel dipped a toe into cosmic mythology with Thor, and then dove into it full-tilt with Guardians of the Galaxy - risky moves that paid dividends for both franchises. Next, Marvel will broach the subject of magic with the release of Doctor Strange in 2016, and Ant-Man's Quantum Realm will be the foundation for how Strange will explain the existence of magic in the MCU.

Now that you've seen Ant-Man (presumably), keep the Quantum Realm in mind when re-reading these quotes about Doctor Strange from Kevin Feige in an interview last summer:

With Strange, it is a classic Marvel origin story because he’s got one of the best origins ever. And it’s our opportunity to take that left turn into the supernatural. Now, what is the definition of supernatural? It varies. We like the idea of playing with alternate dimensions. The very sort of crazy – [Steve] Ditko crazy acid trip way of traveling through dimensions and traveling through other realms is something that we think is very, very cool … playing with the perceptions of reality.

I just watched the Neil deGrasse Tyson ‘Cosmos’ series, which is amazing, and which may as well be an acid trip. It is mind-bending and it’s all based in physics and based in quantum mechanics. We’re going to play a lot with the notion of that as an explanation for how the sorcerers do what they do.

"Quantum Mechanics?" are we the only ones who see how those forces may have something to do with "The Quantum Realm"? We think not. It seems pretty clear, no?

Doctor Strange - Quantum Realm - Dormmamu

The simple connection to make is that the same trippy, abstract, metaphysical dimension we saw Scott Lang disappear into during the Ant-Man climax will also be the source of Doctor Strange's sorcerer powers - and possibly the means by which demonic magical threats like Dormammu may gain access into our world.

At the very least, we already have strong indication that in Doctor Strange, certain levels of The Quantum Realm could contain another familiar Marvel locale: The Astral Plane. Here's what Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch had to say, regarding the strange new frontiers that Doctor Strange will explore:

...It’s very different, it’s an Astral Plane. There’s a huge new element to this Marvel universe that’s going to be employed in building this story and this character.

There you have it; another MCU cross-tie connection made. However, Ant-Man and The Quantum Realm could also have a much more direct impact, in a much bigger conflict...

NEXT PAGE: Ant-Man vs. Thanos

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Infinity War

Thanos Infinity Guantlet War

The other part of the MCU where The Quantum Realm may have a major impact is when Thanos makes his play for cosmic domination in The Avengers: Infinity War 1 & 2

For those unfamiliar, The Infinity War involves Thanos gaining control of the Infinity Stones, seen as the major MacGuffin weapons in Avengers, Avengers 2, Thor 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Thanos unites the stones into The Infinity Gauntlet, a glove giving him power over time, space, power, mind, reality and the soul; basically, he becomes God. From that point on, the Marvel universe faces ultimate peril; in the comic books, more than a few heroes suffered brutal deaths by Thanos' gauntleted hand before the Mad Titan was stopped, and all evidence of his destruction erased.

MORE: Marvel's Infinity Comics Influence on the MCU

In the MCU, Thanos will presumably achieve a similar stature of godhood, and word is that the original Avengers team won't show up 'til late in the fight to save the day. We don't know how such a scenario would even play out, but there are some conclusions to be drawn when you factor in The Quantum Realm.

It could be The Quantum Realm which ultimately bridges films like GuardiansAnt-Man and Doctor Strange's concepts of cosmic energy, science and magic, respectively, by being a channel for all those aforementioned forces. However, in a more ironic twist, it could be Ant-Man (the most mocked Marvel hero to date) and his unique powers that could be the real pivotal tool for defeating Thanos.

How Ant-Man Can (Help) Beat Thanos

Ant-Man Microverse

Having been to the lost recesses of the Quantum Realm and survived, Scott Lang could access the abstract dimension in order to hide himself (or others) from Thanos. Besides hiding, Ant-Man and the Quantum Realm could be used as explanation for a big "twist" if the original Avengers seemingly get wiped from existence by Thanos. Instead of being vaporized, maybe they were just shunted into The Quantum Realm, until retrieved by Ant-Man (you get the idea...)?

Other fans are already buzzing with additional theories in our Ant-Man spoilers discussion. Marvel Comics has an entire mythos about personified forces of the universe that influence events, and some fans are already stating that the cosmic entity known as Eternity was spotted in the Ant-Man Quantum Realm sequence. Eternity is certainly a fitting representation of Hank Pym's description of being lost in the Quantum Realm - Eternity was also a key figure in defeating Thanos during the "Infinity Gauntlet" comic book storyline. So, in the Infinity War movie, Ant-Man could be the key to making contact with a cosmic entity like Eternity, helping to bring him (...or her?) into the conflict. 

Ant-Man Inifnity War

Other possibilities include Ant-Man using The Quantum Realm as a highway through dimensions - a highway that could somehow off-ramp him (and others) into the inner space of the Infinity Gauntlet itself, or one of the Infinity Stones. In the comics, Silver Surfer and Drax discover cosmic hero Adam Warlock inside the Soul Infinity Gem - so there is precedence for the gems (or Infinity Stones, in the MCU) being portals to other dimensions. All potentially accessible through the Quantum Realm, and therefore, accessible by characters like Doc Strange or Ant-Man.

Finally, more far-out theories include fan speculation that Hank Pym's wife Janet (first introduced during Ant-Man) could become the MCU embodiment of Eternity, due to her long time being sentient within the Quantum Realm. It would be a curve ball, no doubt - but that twist would admittedly tie together a lot of other MCU threads to make Thanos' defeat resonate with themes of each individual franchise - including Ant-Man proving himself a great Avenger, and Hank and Hope Pym finally being able to reconcile the loss of Janet.

Ant-Man Inifinity War - Eternity

Of course these are all just speculation and theory - let's hear your breakdown, or how likely (or not) these scenarios sound to you! Want to discuss the film without ruining it for others? Join our Ant-Man spoilers discussion - and look out for our Ant-Man Easters eggs and post-credits explanation posts in the days after release.

NEXT: Wasp's Future in the MCU

Ant-Man is in theaters; Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016; Doctor Strange– November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man reboot – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Black Panther– July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – November 2, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019.