What to remember before watching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
So you've fallen behind on the MCU but still plan to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? Take a seat, as we've got you covered.
The most crucial information for Quantumania came in the Disney+ series Loki, which explained that there are alternate versions of characters from other timelines known as "variants." In the finale, Loki met a man referred to as He Who Remains, who was erasing other timelines to prevent more sinister "variants" of himself from existing.
But after He Who Remains is killed, there are now many timelines and, therefore, many variants of him that pose a threat to the multiverse. The villain of Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror, is one of these variants. At the end of the season, Loki tries to warn Mobius (Owen Wilson) that "countless different versions" of He Who Remains are coming, only to realize he's now in the wrong timeline.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As far as Ant-Man goes, the short version of Scott Lang's (Paul Rudd) story is that he's an ex-convict (who was fired from Baskin-Robbins when his criminal past came to light) and became a superhero after being recruited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). In the original film, the villain was Hank's former protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Cross was known as the Yellowjacket, and he uses a shrinking suit similar to Ant-Man's. But he was apparently killed after a battle with Scott that ended with Cross shrinking down out of existence in Scott's daughter Cassie's bedroom.
Hank's wife, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), was missing and presumed dead for 30 years after shrinking so far that she got stuck in the Quantum Realm, a microscopic world beneath ours where time behaves differently. But she was rescued with help from her daughter (and Scott's love interest), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly).
Scott was also recently stuck in the Quantum Realm for five years after he shrunk down right before Thanos' snap, which turned half the universe to dust in what's known as "the Blip." After getting out, Scott helped the Avengers defeat Thanos by traveling through time and reversing the snap in Avengers: Endgame, but his daughter was now five years older, so he missed a big chunk of her life. Cassie has been recast for Quantumania and is now played by Kathryn Newton.
Also, it's worth remembering that years before Endgame, Scott fought with Captain America against Iron Man as part of a civil war among the Avengers. So if someone mentions Germany, that's where a key battle in this civil war took place.
And that should get you up to speed on the basics for Quantumania, which largely serves to set the stage for two major crossover events: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, set for 2025, and Avengers: Secret Wars, set for 2026. The road to the next endgame begins now.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Israel's war is America's, too
Opinion 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' are just different slogans for the same hatred
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 16, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published