Ant-Man and The Wasp perfectly resonated with the spirit of the previous ensemble of 18 movies that have come to define the totality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie’s intense visual depiction of the Quantum Realm poses a number of questions in the minds of the viewer. Is it a universe of its own? Is it a parallel universe? Or is it a parallel dimension? For answers, we’ll have to wait until early 2019, when Avengers 4 and Captain Marvel hit the theatres. As far as the plot of Ant-Man and the Wasp is loosely based on pre-Infinity War, it certainly explains why Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Jolie), Ant-Man and Wasp were missing from all the action. They’re on the run from the federal authorities post-Sokovia Accords, as Ant-Man sided with Captain America. Hank (Michael Douglas) and Hope develop a Quantum Tunnel in an attempt to rescue Hank’s wife, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) stuck in the Quantum Realm.
The real climax of the movie lies in the mid-credit cliffhanger that has been executed with utmost perfection and impact. *Spoilers Ahead* We see, Hope, Janet and Hank Van Dyne and Scott on a roof, ready to collect ‘healing particles’ from the Quantum Realm. We learn that with Janet’s modification the Quantum Tunnel’s size had been reduced to fit in the back of a van. Now, it could transport a single person to the Quantum Realm. Amidst all the science fiction and comedy in the scene, there lies a subtle hint as to what we can possibly expect. Janet tells Scott not to get stuck in a time vortex moments before he is transported to the Quantum Realm and they are all turned to dust, as Thanos snaps his fingers at the end of Infinity War. This is where the movie ties itself to the larger picture of the MCU.
1. Janet’s warning to Scott: “Don’t get stuck in a time vortex”
Janet Van Dyne’s cryptic message, delivered right before Scott is sucked into the Quantum Realm suggests a concept that has not yet been explored in the MCU. From the two Ant-Man stand-alone films, we have learnt that in the Quantum Realm time does not work the same way it does in the real world. It is quite possible that Ant-Man could travel through time and affect the events of the upcoming Avengers 4 movie.
2. Scott encounters a past version of Janet in the Quantum Realm
With all the talk about time working differently in the Quantum Realm, we have not yet ruled out the possibility of time being non-linear in the Quantum Realm. This comes straight out the research on quantum physics which suggests, all times are happening simultaneously and physical locations in the Quantum Realm also correspond with different times. Basically, in simple terms, Quantum Realm’s weirdness creates an intersection between all those times and locations. It is possible that Scott encounters a younger version of Janet because of this theory. Janet will always be in certain places of the Quantum Realm as they are different points in time, even though she returned to the real world.
3. Ant-Man could pop-up in Captain Marvel
We know that next year’s Captain Marvel starring Brie Larsson is set in the 90’s. This fact is quite an unapologetic hint tied to the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp. The warning about time vortex could suggest that Scott uses one of these to go back in time or accidentally goes back in time and shows up doing Captain Marvel’s time. It’s difficult to guess whether Ant-Man will be playing a major role in the forthcoming movie, but its quite possible that he could have a mid or post-credit cameo in Captain Marvel.
4. Scott gives Captain Marvel the heads up about Thanos
The time vortex complexity again makes way for another theory which suggests that Ant-Man would travel to warn Captain Marvel about the impending doom brought about by Thanos. The problem with this theory is that when Scott is trapped in the Quantum Realm he had no idea about Thanos or about Thanos snapping his finger to end half the life in the universe. The counter to this argument is that falling into a time vortex is accidental and that one is not in control of where or when one might travel to. It is possible that Ant-Man travels to the future and learns something new about the Infinity Stones, or something about how to defeat Thanos and take the information to Captain Marvel.
5. Ant-Man’s encounter with a time vortex alters the MCU
If time travel is what time vortex might make possible, then it is quite possible that Scott makes a journey across time. A journey which could alter the face and fate of the MCU. A simple warning from the future could massively affect the MCU as we know that Thanos has been on the scene since the first Avengers movie. That hint could come from Ant-Man travelling through time. We can’t be sure as to how or where or when Scott will pop up when escapes the Quantum Realm. But we can surely guess that he will have a big part to play in the events of next year’s Avengers 4.
Ant-Man and the Wasp’s mid-credit scene which leaves you gasping for air, trying to make sense of what just happened. The scene smashes on to you like the Mjölnir, but it definitely makes you wonder how those events will unfurl in the future movies. Tell us what you think about the most interesting mid-credit scene that MCU has produced so far.
