WARNING: Spoilers for Ant-Man & the Wasp.

Could Ant-Man & the Wasp be the beginning of Doctor Strange's "endgame" plan to defeat Thanos? Although the next few Marvel movies are scattered throughout the timeline, the reality is that Marvel Studios is telling a single narrative right now. Both Ant-Man & the Wasp and next year's Captain Marvel are designed to set the pieces in place for the final battle against Thanos and true culmination of the MCU. As the cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War showed, at stake is no less than half the life in the universe - and, right now, the heroes seem to have lost.

Given this is the case, viewers need to be carefully watching every Marvel movie, looking for clues as to just how they will either undo or avert Thanos's "snap." Certain key plot threads will run through each story, to be finally resolved in 2019's Avengers 4. By spotting those plot threads, we can deduce the overall direction of the MCU.

Related: Infinity War Directors Answer The Fans' 18 Biggest Questions

But the mid- and post-credits scenes of Ant-Man & the Wasp are particularly important, the moment They include our first glimpse of the world after the "snap", the moment Thanos achieved his horrifying victory. That's a direct connection between the films, and it raises a fascinating question; is it possible Ant-Man is part of Doctor Strange's "endgame?"

What We Know About Doctor Strange's Endgame Plan

Doctor Strange using the time stone in Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange was undeniably one of the most impressive heroes in Avengers: Infinity War. Although the future Sorcerer Supreme didn't choose to deploy the Time Stone directly against Thanos, he did use it in a far more creative way. In one scene, Strange used the Time Stone to glimpse the "ultimate outcome" of over 14 million different futures, to his horror discovering almost all of them see the Avengers defeated; there was only one outcome that would ultimately see Thanos stopped.

At first, the heroes assumed the successful strategy was Star-Lord's plan; disarm Thanos, and get the Infinity Gauntlet away from him. But Star-Lord unwittingly sabotaged the heroes when he broke Mantis's hold on Thanos, giving the Mad Titan a chance to break free and resume the battle. Finally, a crucial moment came when Thanos's triumph seemed inevitable. The Guardians were defeated, Spider-Man was out of it, and Thanos had just stabbed Tony Stark with a blade broken off from his own armor. Thanos was about to go in for the kill when, to the surprise of everybody, Doctor Strange stopped the battle and handed over the Time Stone. Armed with the power of foresight, Strange cautioned Stark that they were "in the endgame now".

While this move directly allowed Thanos to win and wipe out half of the universe, it appears that this was all part of Strange's plan. Just before he disintegrated, Strange said to Stark, "It was the only way", suggesting he carefully orchestrated events to guide them down the course that will ultimately see Thanos defeated. The Mad Titan's victory is only a temporary measure.

Related: Avengers: End Game Is The Perfect Title For Avengers 4

This scheme has become known as the endgame plan, but what exactly it is has been the subject of much speculation. It's been suggested that Tony Stark is a key part, hence his life being spared, although it may be a totally different MCU movie that provides the ultimate clue.

Page 2 of 2: How Ant-Man Fits Into Strange's Plan

 

Quantum Realm in Ant-Man

Theory: Ant-Man's Role in Thanos's Defeat is Time Travel

Ant-Man & the Wasp is a thrilling, upbeat story - at least until the mid-credits scene, which is set immediately after the "snap." In this scene, Ant-Man enters the Quantum Realm to collect mysterious "healing particles" to help Ghost remain in phase with reality. Unfortunately for Scott Lang, he's actually inside the Quantum Realm at the moment of the "snap." Everybody who knew he was in the Quantum Realm - Janet, Hope, and Hank - are killed by Thanos. As a result, Scott is stranded there.

According to Hank Pym, the Quantum Realm is "a reality where all concepts of time and space become irrelevant." So far, that hasn't been seen in many tangible ways, but the potential of the microverse is massive; Kevin Feige suggested that there are "various levels" to the Quantum Realm, and the laws of the universe apply in different ways at each level. That's why Janet was able to age while she was trapped; she didn't go deep enough into that mysterious dimension to prevent time from applying to her. Presumably, the Quantum Realm is best imagined like a series of concentric circles; the deeper you go, the more those laws of reality cease to apply. It may be possible to travel through time by diving into the very heart of the Quantum Realm. Alternatively, the mid-credits scene also saw Janet warn Scott not to get trapped in any "time vortexes." Should Scott unwittingly stumble into one of these time vortexes, he could conceivably be projected forwards in time.

Related: Avengers 4 Theory: How Ant-Man Escapes the Quantum Realm

There's abundant evidence that Avengers 4 will be a time-travel film of some kind, and as it stands Ant-Man - by being trapped in the Quantum Realm in the mid-credits scene - is perfectly positioned to uncover the secret of how it works. Indeed, it's important to note that Emma Fuhrmann has been cast in Avengers 4 as an older Cassie Lang, one about five or six years older than her current age as played by Abby Ryder Fortson. That suggests Avengers 4 will jump forwards in time by about five or six years. If this is when Scott emerges from the Quantum Realm into a post-snap world, then he's living proof of non-Time Stone travel, opening up the opportunity to try and undo Thanos' attack.

That's a key role, one that might have been foreseen...

Did Doctor Strange Enable Scott to be Trapped?

Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantum Tunnel

Based on our understanding of Avengers 4, Ant-Man is going to be an essential part of the attempt to defeat Thanos, and it all comes from a series of incredible coincidence. Had Doctor Strange surrendered the Time Stone to Thanos a few minutes earlier, then the "snap" would have happened before Ant-Man entered the Quantum Realm. If Strange delayed Thanos for even a minute more, Scott would have exited the Quantum Realm. The timing is remarkably precise, so much so that it raises the possibility that Doctor Strange orchestrated events to ensure Scott Lang was stranded in the Quantum Realm.

While it's been confirmed that Ant-Man didn't survive because of the Quantum Realm, his location at the time of the snap is essential. Sure, it could be a coincidence, but if the MCU is currently in its 1 in 14 million chance of Thanos being defeated, Doctor Strange's involvement seems more likely.

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If this is correct, then Ant-Man & the Wasp is one of the most crucial parts of Doctor Strange's "endgame." Had Stephen Strange timed things even a little differently, Scott would never have been trapped within the Quantum Realm - and he'd consequently never have learned that time travel is possible. Without that knowledge, Thanos's triumph could have been truly complete.

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