Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Ending Explained (In Detail)

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The ending of Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has major implications for the Ant-Family, Kang the Conqueror, and the MCU's multiverse. Jonathan Majors consolidated the concept of the MCU's multiverse in Loki season 1 with his appearance as He Who Remains, and he has now brought a new twist with his performance as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Although the third Ant-Man installment mostly takes place within the Quantum Realm, its events will likely have a ripple effect on the entire MCU when Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars brings back Majors' villainous variants.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania revealed that Kang the Conqueror had built an empire inside the MCU's Quantum Realm after destroying countless timelines and killing numerous Avengers' variants. Against all odds, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and his allies managed to thwart Kang the Conqueror before he got his chance to escape to wreak havoc on the surface world. However, Kang's defeat may only be the calm before the storm, which is something that Scott Lang already suspects. Here's how Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ends, and how it sets up the MCU's future.
How Kang Is Defeated In Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

Kang the Conqueror is a nearly unbeatable villain. He is powerful enough to destroy entire timelines and defeat alternate-universe Avengers single-handedly. However, Kang sabotages his own efforts by underestimating his opponents. After gaining advantage over Ant-Man and his size-changing crew in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang leaves most of them to die while he captures Janet van Dyne. Naturally, Kathryn Newton's Cassie Lang quickly gathers the Quantum Realm's Freedom Fighters while Ant-Man and the Wasp dismantle Kang's empire and try to break his multiversal engine.
Then, it's Hank Pym's turn to turn the tide. Pym and his army of highly intelligent ants — which fell into the Quantum Realm Quantumania's heroes — overwhelm Kang's shields. Kang's mistreatment of MODOK comes back to bite him, as Cassie convinces the deformed Darren Cross to revolt, ending in a heroic sacrifice. With Kang assumed dead, the heroes escape from the Quantum Realm through a portal, but upon Kang's return, Scott Lang stays behind to fight, ensuring their mutual destruction. Fortunately, Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne returns, allowing Ant-Man and the Wasp to gain the upper hand and thrust Kang into his exploding multiversal engine, seemingly killing their foe.
What Cassie Lang's Quantum Realm Device Means For MCU Multiverse

The events of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania happen because of Cassie Lang's Quantum Realm device, which she describes as a Quantum equivalent to the Hubble telescope. Cassie's device works by sending signals into the Quantum Realm and interpreting them, allowing her to take a peek into the microscopic universe without having to enter it. Janet warns of using the device, suggesting that she knows of evil forces in the Quantum Realm, and almost as soon as she voices her concern, the team are pulled into the Quantum Realm - with Kang the Conqueror having picked up Cassie's signal.
With the technology Kang the Conqueror leaves behind, it's possible to reverse-engineer a safe way to travel between Realms and avoid getting stuck in the Quantum Realm for indefinite periods of time. But if Ant-Man and the Avengers wished to travel the MCU's multiverse without having to dream-walk, they would need Kang's knowledge of alternate dimensions to turn Cassie's device into a multiversal portal. For now, Cassie's device seems to only grant access to the Quantum Realm, which may come in handy if the Avengers ever need to escape from their home universe. But it may also be the first step to creating technology that will allow travel between universes.
Kang's MCU Future After Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

Jonathan Majors has now portrayed two main variants of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU: He Who Remains in Loki season 1 and Kang the Conqueror himself in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Although both of these appearances culminated in the villains' deaths, what makes Kang such a terrifying villain is that there is always another variant waiting in the wings. No matter how many times Kang is killed, he keeps popping up throughout history, which makes him a formidable and practically unstoppable adversary to Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
A variant of Kang, Victor Timely, is set to appear in Loki season 2 - scheduled for release on October 6, 2023 - and others are expected to appear in the upcoming series. With the reveal of the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's mid-credits scene, several more Kang variants could appear in some unexpected places in the MCU's future. This will all culminate in an epic battle between the MCU's new Avengers team and Kang (and his variants) in Phase 6's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, though it's unclear whether the Multiverse Saga villain will be returning for Avengers: Secret Wars.
Can MODOK Return To The MCU After Dying In Quantumania?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania saw the return of Corey Stoll as Darren Cross, now known as MODOK - the perfect killing machine. Despite his transformation, Cross still manages to empathize with Cassie Lang and rebel against Kang. MODOK's self-inflicted explosion fries his mechanical body, but he survives long enough to make amends and proclaim himself an Avenger. Although MODOK's heart monitor flatlines, it's possible that he faked his death to portray himself as a martyr, only to fix himself and return to his old ways. No longer working for Kang, MODOK could try either to eliminate the Quantum Realm's Freedom Fighters or win them over for his own benefit.
What Happens Next For The Freedom Fighters & Quantum Realm

After helping defeat Kang, the Quantum Realm's Freedom Fighters could now build a utopian society possibly led by Jentorra, Quaz, and Veb. They can seize Kang's technology and create their own defenses to prevent future invaders from taking over, and they will surely be ready to help the Ant-Family if they ever return to the Quantum Realm. Traitors like Bill Murray's Krylar, on the other hand, will likely be prosecuted for their betrayal, that is assuming he survived the cantina ordeal where his meal ended up eating him. With Kang the Conqueror presumably dead, though, the future looks bright for the Freedom Fighters.
Ant-Man & The Wasp's MCU Futures After Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp's adventure in the Quantum Realm adds another victory to Ant-Man's MCU timeline, and they'll presumably resume their daily lives as superhero celebrities. But Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's ending suggests that Scott Lang will continue to worry about the side effects Kang's defeat will have on the multiverse, as Kang made it clear that his death will only cause more problems. Scott and Hope van Dyne can't do anything to find out what that means, but just like Tony Stark's fear of Thanos' arrival eventually came true, Scott understands that Kang may return sooner rather than later.
Will Cassie Lang Join The MCU's Young Avengers?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes a step towards the formation of the MCU's Young Avengers, as Cassie Lang has had her first adventure as a superhero. Cassie has proved her worth as a new member of the Ant-Family, though she hasn't taken a superhero alias yet. Now that she's back home, Cassie Lang can use her suit and newfound fighting abilities to fight injustice. As the novice hero Stature, Cassie Lang could cross paths with other Young Avengers such as Kamala Khan, Riri Williams, and Kate Bishop. Helping defeat a villain as formidable as Kang the Conqueror makes her a perfect asset for the Young Avengers should they assemble.
How Quantumania Sets Up Avengers 5 & Loki Season 2

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's aftermath will shape the events of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's post-credits scenes reveal that the Council of Kangs - led by Immortus, Rama-Tut, and the Scarlet Centurion - has assembled to pursue the heroes who defeated the Council's biggest enemy, which suggests that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be an epic battle between the Avengers and Kang's many variants, and that Kang the Conqueror himself may not return until Avengers: Secret Wars. The Council of Kangs may have access to the 616 universe, so the Avengers must be ready whenever a new Kang variant shows up.
The film's second post-credits scene directly sets up the events of Loki season 2, introducing Victor Timely to the MCU. The scene finds Tom Hiddleston's Loki and Owen Wilson's Mobius M. Mobius witnessing a demonstration by Timely in the early 20th Century. Victor Timely is a variant of Kang who has a pivotal role in major advancements in technology on Earth. This suggests that the upcoming Loki season 2 will follow the titular God of Mischief as he attempts to stop Kang's rise to power. With these major projects on the horizon for the MCU, it seems Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only the beginning of Kang's story.
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