Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Endgame, may have set the stage for Kang’s appearance in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania with a significant line of dialogue. The time heist, which involved using the Quantum Realm to travel back in time and collect the Infinity Stones, was a central theme of the film.
While the plan was successful, it did not come without consequences, as Thanos discovered the Avengers’ actions and returned to the present to reclaim the stones. The significance of Tony’s line will become apparent as Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania unfolds.
Time messes back: The plot of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man strikes a deal with Kang (Image via Marvel Studios)
Scott Lang and Tony Stark used the Quantum Realm to collect the Infinity Stones from the past. However, this meddling with time attracted the attention of the Mad Titan Thanos, who stole the stones from the Avengers. This led to Tony’s famous quote:
“You mess with time, it tends to mess back.”
With its time-traveling elements and consequences of messing with time, this film may reveal more about the fate of the MCU and set the stage for even more exciting adventures.
In the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Scott Lang finds himself in a difficult situation due to his actions in Avengers: Endgame. In exchange for more time with his daughter, Scott makes a deal with the evil multi-versal despot, Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.
However, Scott soon realizes that Kang cannot be trusted and is warned by Janet van Dyne that Kang has the ability to rewrite reality and break timelines. This leads to a face-off between Kang and Ant-Man, with the Conqueror demonstrating his superior combat skills.
A Loki connection: The multiverse and Kang’s variants
Exploring the Multiverse: A closer look at Kang’s variants as seen in Loki (Image via Marvel Studios)
The consequences of tampering with time were also explored in the first season of Loki. In the finale, Sylvie and Loki met with He Who Remains, a variant of Kang, who had control over a large portion of the Multiverse.
He explains that the Kangs are seeking control and domination over reality itself. However, Sylvie kills He Who Remains, which sets in motion a multi-versal fracturing, the scale of which has yet to be seen.
Kang the Conqueror unleashed: The threat to the MCU
Unleashing the Fury: Kang the Conqueror emerges as the ultimate threat to the MCU (Image via Marvel Studios)
Scott Lang is about to face the consequences of his actions in Avengers: Endgame as he comes into contact with Kang, who is more powerful and dangerous than Thanos.
The battle between Avengers and Kang will be witnessed in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and will likely continue into its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. In the meantime, audiences can expect to see Kang in various other MCU projects, further establishing his menace.
Final thoughts
Unveiling the consequences of tampering with time: The future of the MCU (Image via Marvel Studios)
The consequences of tampering with time were explored in both Avengers: Endgame and the first season of Loki. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will continue this theme as Scott Lang finds himself in a difficult situation due to his deal with Kang the Conqueror.
Kang is an extremely dangerous and powerful villain with mastery over time and space, and the MCU heroes will have their work cut out for them if they wish to stop him.
