Ant-Man 3 Is Going To Have A Very Different Impact On The MCU Than The First Two

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (or should we say MCU Multiverse, at this point?) cannot and will not stop until centuries after every person reading this is buried in the ground and humanity dies out ... or is halved by a certain purple alien, anyway. Long before death claims us, though, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is set to be the 31st film in the gargantuan franchise, and the third starring Paul Rudd's goofy and charismatic Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. 

Of the various MCU films and characters, the "Ant-Man" movies have been some of the most comedic, albeit with serious science fiction and fantasy elements sprinkled in. Both prior "Ant-Man" movies have also had lower stakes than their contemporaries, such as "Black Panther" and "Eternals."

While the trailer for the third film has not yet (publicly) been released, the film – also starring Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfieffer, and more — admittedly looks like a really fun time. However, the teases offered to attendees at Comic-Con hint that "Quantumania" is going to be a bit bolder and darker than its predecessors, and during a short interview, director Peyton Reed spoke about how the movie is set to fully introduce the next big, Avengers-level villain to take the place of Thanos — a character so far only glimpsed in the Disney+ series "Loki."

The Access interviewers were able to get some tantalizing hints about what's ahead from both Paul Rudd and Peyton Reed, regarding the major plot points in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." At this time of reporting, major filming is complete, so Rudd and Reed certainly know a thing or two that they aren't willing to share just yet. And while the first two "Ant-Man" movies were widely recognized for being small-scale affairs, that won't be the case this time around. 

As Reed shared, "It's our third movie. It's this trilogy now, but things happen in this movie that are going to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe permanently. And it's fun for us that Scott Lang is at the center of that change."

Rudd, for his part — while putting on his best poker face so as not to give the slightest hint away — briefly spoke about his excitement about donning the Ant-Man suit once again. And Reed gave the tiniest tease as to who we might not expect to show his face. "Oh yes, there's great fun in store for everyone, and some surprising faces that may show up in the Quantum Realm," Reed said. "So yes, we're very excited."

Reed is almost definitely referencing the arrival of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), the most menacing multiverse variant of Nathaniel Richards, who first appeared in "Loki" under the guise of He Who Remains. Reports from the Comic-Con footage paint a menacing portrait of Kang — who, evidently, is shown indifferently pondering whether he has killed Ant-Man in other universes (per Yahoo) — and it seems clear that Scott Lang will be unable to stop whatever Kang's plot may be, since the next Avengers film is titled "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty."