Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania appears poised to repeat Scott Lang's fate from Ant-Man and the Wasp. The last time audiences saw Paul Rudd's Ant-Man in a solo movie he was left trapped in the Quantum Realm after Thanos' snap. After escaping and helping the Avengers defeat the Mad Titan, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is once again sending Scott Lang to the mysterious dimension. This time, Ant-Man will encounter Kang the Conqueror and strike a deal with the MCU villain as a means to help himself and his family leave the Quantum Realm safely.
The setup for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's story to follow Scott Lang and others attempting to escape the Quantum Realm while leaving Kang trapped there has sparked several theories about where the movie could leave Paul Rudd's character. The prevalent theory is that Scott Lang dies in Ant-Man 3. Marvel's marketing team has seemingly leaned into this idea by repeatedly putting Scott in danger during the trailers. The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailers have shown everything from his bloody and bruised face to Ant-Man's broken helmet, but it might all be misdirection so Marvel can repeat his Ant-Man and the Wasp ending.
Ant-Man Losing In Quantumania Means Being Trapped In The Quantum Realm
Scott Lang could get trapped in the Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania just as he did in Ant-Man and the Wasp. The tease for this ending comes as part of the film's official trailer. Scott tells Kang that he doesn't need to win, but he needs them both to lose. Since the exchange happens while Scott and Kang are both still in the Quantum Realm and have the desire to escape, the idea that Ant-Man loses in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania but does not die should mean he remains trapped there. In this scenario, Scott loses more time with his family.
Scott Lang being trapped in the Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a direct repeat of where his story ended after Ant-Man and the Wasp's credits. The movie ended with Scott being in a good position, but the post-credits scene left him trapped in the Quantum Realm once Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, and Hope van Dyne were dusted. This left Ant-Man trapped there for five years in real-time, although it felt like a much shorter time for him until a rat saved him in Avengers: Endgame. Miraculously, a similar fate might await Ant-Man in the Phase 5 movie.
Ant-Man Could Be Trapped In The Quantum Realm Until Secret Wars
If Ant-Man is trapped in the Quantum Realm again in his new movie, it is possible Marvel is repeating Ant-Man and the Wasp's ending to keep Scott sidelined until Avengers: Secret Wars. Since Ant-Man has the most knowledge of the Quantum Realm and will be one of the few heroes who have fought Kang, he would be a valuable piece to a new Avengers roster in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty if he was free. The MCU trapping Ant-Man in the Quantum Realm again forces other heroes to step up and be the first wave to fight Kang.
In that case, Marvel will not just repeat Scott's fate from his last solo movie with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It would mean that Ant-Man escaping the Quantum Realm in Secret Wars would effectively repeat his role from Avengers: Endgame. He'd return from the Quantum Realm likely with valuable information about it or Kang that could help change the tide in the Avengers' fight against Kang. Even if a similar arc is in store for Scott in the Multiverse Saga, hopefully, Marvel also finds creative ways to avoid directly repeating it beat for beat.
