Those Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania post-credits scenes, explained
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Warning: This post contains spoilers about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is ushering in a new era. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michael Douglas return for the first film of Marvel's Phase 5, trading small-scale shenanigans for high-stakes action in the Quantum Realm.
Despite focusing on such tiny heroes, Quantumania has large ambitions. The film sets up the next few years of Marvel storytelling — especially when it comes to its villain. Jonathan Majors makes his official debut as the villainous Kang the Conqueror, a time-traveling, universe-hopping baddie intent on causing chaos. (Majors previously popped up in the season 1 finale of Loki, playing an alternate universe version of Kang called He Who Remains.) In Quantumania, Ant-Man and Co. ultimately defeat Kang, but the film's two end-credits scenes reveal that his reign is far from over. The film also ends with an ominous stinger, reading: "Kang will return."
Here, we break down Quantumania's two post-credits scenes and their implications for the wider MCU.
A gang of Kangs
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'
The first scene comes about halfway through the credits, and it reveals that we haven't seen the last of Kang. Or more specifically, Kangs.
The scene introduces a whole squadron of Kang variants from throughout the multiverse, all played by Majors. Some appear to come straight from the comics, like the imposing leader Immortus, the ancient pharaoh Rama-Tut, and a version that appears to be the Scarlet Centurion. It turns out that they are the ones who exiled Kang to the Quantum Realm, and they're concerned that heroes like Ant-Man were powerful enough to defeat him. In response, they decide to assemble every Kang variant to prepare for multiversal war.
The scene ends with literally thousands of Kangs gathering in a large amphitheater, all psyched to cause a little interdimensional chaos. This is another image that's ripped straight from the pages of Marvel comics, and it's a reference to the so-called Council of Kangs, introduced in an Avengers issue in 1986.
Not every upcoming Marvel project will feature Kang, but it's clear that he and his many variants aren't done causing trouble. This will all culminate with the next Avengers film, which will hit theaters in 2025 and is appropriately titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Loki returns
Marvel Studios Tom Hiddleston in 'Loki'
Kang pops up once more in the final post-credits scene — but once again, he looks a bit different than we've seen him before. This version of Kang is on stage in what looks to be an auditorium in the early 1900s, and he introduces himself as Victor Timely.
Then, the scene cuts to the audience, where we see Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his TVA buddy Mobius (Owen Wilson) watching from the crowd. Loki immediately recognizes Victor from his previous encounter with He Who Remains, and he whispers to Mobius: "That's him."
Mobius isn't all that impressed. "I thought you said he was terrifying?" he says. "He is," Loki replies.
In the comics, Victor Timely is a version of Kang who travels back in time to 1900s Wisconsin. (Get it? "Timely"?) There, he becomes a local mayor and invents futuristic technology, hoping to amass enough power in the coming decades to eventually defeat the Avengers.
It remains to be seen how Victor will fit into the MCU, but his appearance here is a direct teaser for Loki season 2, which is expected to debut on Disney+ later this year — the first Marvel Disney+ show to officially get a second season.
As for how Victor will fare against Loki and his friends at the TVA? We'll have to wait and see.
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