It is not looking good for Scott Lang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is heavily hinting at Ant-Man's death. The Ant-Man franchise was not the most important in the grand scheme of the Infinity Saga, but Marvel Studios is changing that in a major way for the third installment. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicks off Phase 5 of the MCU and the middle chapter of the Multiverse Saga when it hits theaters in 2023. The movie once again stars Paul Rudd's Scott Lang, but the movie's bigger role in the MCU could also bring much bigger consequences.
The root of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's MCU importance comes through its villain: Kang the Conqueror. After Jonathan Majors played He Who Remains in Loki, the talented actor returns to the MCU in Phase 5 to be the real Kang the Conqueror. Plot details on Ant-Man 3 are largely still under wraps, but Kang's hopes of conquering the multiverse go all the way back to the comics. Marvel Studios clearly has a similar endgame in mind for Kang by making him the big bad of the Multiverse Saga, culminating with a starring role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Due to Kang's presence in Ant-Man 3, there has been great speculation about how Marvel Studios will solidify his place as the MCU's next Thanos-level villain. While the fate of the multiverse itself could hang in the balance, individual characters could also meet their end as a result of fighting Kang. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has plenty of characters that the movie's villain could theoretically kill, but Marvel is already teasing that Kang will kill Ant-Man, with his death potentially paving the way for the future of the MCU Phases 5 and 6.
How The MCU Is Setting Up Ant-Man's Death Already
Marvel Phase 4 has secretly been doing a lot to set up Ant-Man's death already. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Ant-Man has become a much bigger character in the MCU. Thanks to his book, a possible podcast, and Ant-Man's inclusion in Rogers: The Musical, it is quite clear that Marvel Studios is building up his importance in the shared universe. This mirrors the decision to make the Ant-Man franchise more important by having it launch Phase 5. All of this could be done as a means to make audiences and those in the MCU care about Paul Rudd's superhero even more - right before Kang kills Ant-Man in the Phase 5 movie.
It also can not be understated that Kang being Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's villain is a big deal. His overall role in the Multiverse Saga indicates that he cannot be defeated, and even if a variant of him is stopped here, having Ant-Man stop Kang would be quite unbelievable. The more realistic outcome is Kang easily dispatching of Scott Lang's attempt to fight him. The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania footage from SDCC even played this up. Kang taunts Ant-Man by questioning if Scott is one of the Avengers that he's already killed. If that was not enough of a tease that Marvel will kill Ant-Man, crew shirts from Ant-Man 3 featuring Ant-Man's cracked helmet prove just how much danger he is facing.
Ant-Man's death in Phase 5 would be devastating to plenty of viewers, but it might be a necessary cost for the MCU's overall Kang plan. Thanos' real introduction in Avengers: Infinity War included an opening scene where he easily defeated Hulk and killed Loki. Those actions immediately let audiences know that Thanos was a greater threat than anyone the Avengers had faced before. If Kang kills Ant-Man, viewers will unquestionably take his threats very seriously going forward. This would help Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, as any interaction between Kang and an Avenger would leave audiences fearing for the fate of their favorite MCU heroes.
Ant-Man's Quantumania Death Continues MCU Young Avengers Set Up
Marvel killing Ant-Man in Phase 5 could also be part of the MCU's Young Avengers plans. The introduction of various young heroes in Phase 4 like Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel, and America Chavez has made it quite clear that Marvel Studios wants the Young Avengers to appear sooner than later. Cassie Lang is a key part of the team in the comics, but her journey to joining them only starts after Ant-Man's death. There are ways for Marvel to have Cassie Lang join the MCU Young Avengers without her father dying, but that does not mean Ant-Man 3 will not kill Paul Rudd's character to set up that decision. It was with the Young Avengers that Cassie first became the superhero known as Stature. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is changing this arc for the MCU, as Cassie will be a superhero alongside her father in the third film. However, her interest in pursuing the superhero lifestyle could only grow after she watches Ant-Man die fighting Kang.
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