We’ll be diving into the meat of the Multiverse Saga in a matter of days now, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to make its theatrical bow later this week. Early reviews suggest that Marvel’s first step into Phase Five isn’t quite the homerun we were hoping for, but with the likes of Cassie Lang’s newfound destiny as a new Avenger, the appearance of M.O.D.O.K., and Jonathan Majors’ highly anticipated turn as Kang the Conqueror, there will no doubt be plenty to chew on for Marvel devotees and newcomers alike.
Speaking of having plenty to chew on, we have the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ability to fearlessly deviate from the comics to thank for keeping this franchise going as long as it has; a one-to-one adaptation from the comics would dispel a dizzying amount of the speculation and reveal that so much of the franchise’s hype is built on, and, let’s be honest, where would you even start such an adaptation in a lore as deep and ridiculous as Marvel’s?
With respect to that, Quantumania looks to be Marvel Studios’ most original brainchild yet. As the MCU continues to blossom into its own beast with every passing film, one has to wonder just how many more comics the studio will even need to look at to keep on going.
But, just because Quantumania largely looks to be a completely original story for the MCU canon, that doesn’t mean that certain comic book storylines won’t play into the nuances of the film. And to make matters even more delectable, the comics history that Quantumania could realistically draw upon points to the possibility of a long-awaited cameo from a certain superhero team that isn’t called the Avengers.
Is the storyline in Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania based on a comic?
No, it isn’t; Quantumania is for all intents and purposes an original storyline for the MCU. This will be the first time in Marvel’s history that Kang has squared off against Ant-Man solo.
However, Kang and Ant-Man do share a mutual association in the comics, and that association also happens to involve the Quantum Realm. So, while Quantumania‘s story is an original one, it’s still entirely possible that a different comic book storyline, one that’s responsible for Ant-Man’s alluded association, could have a part to play in the events of the film, even if it’s just a mid-credits scene.
What comics storyline could get involved during Quantumania?
In the MCU, Scott Lang’s first trip into the Quantum Realm was just a byproduct of the lengths he had to go to in order to defeat Yellowjacket, and while it may have only seemed so to us, it was a relatively uneventful first visit.
In Marvel Comics’ Two-In-One Vol. 1, Issue 87, however, Scott got up to many more action-packed antics in his first trip to the Quantum Realm (known back then as Microverse), namely in the form of teaming up with one Ben Grimm (aka The Thing of the Fantastic Four) and battling his way through the Quantum Realm.
Kang, of course, has quite the connection to the Fantastic Four of his own; Kang’s true name is Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic) in the comics. While we don’t have official confirmation on whether the variant we see in Quantumania is the original Richards, all signs point to this being the case, considering he’s a character who’s been forced out of time in both canons.
Perhaps it’s all just coincidence, but the backdrop of Quantumania and the storyline of this aforementioned Two-In-One issue makes for the perfect opportunity to tie the Fantastic Four in with the rest of the MCU’s canon.
In the comic, Mister Fantastic spends most of his time trying to get The Thing out of the Quantum Realm, and recruits Ant-Man to help him do so; an endeavor that is eventually successful. But, success doesn’t look to necessarily be on the cards in Quantumania; we know this is only the beginning for Kang, after all, and fans have been speculating about the possibility of Ant-Man’s death for quite some time.
However, knowing what we now know from this comic, one could easily visualize Ant-Man’s defeat not in the form of death, but in further exile within the Quantum Realm. Perhaps in his mid-credits scene wanderings, Scott comes across The Thing, whose colleague, Mister Fantastic, is hard at work trying to rescue his friend from the Quantum Realm; a task he happens to accomplish on his own in the MCU canon, thereby officially connecting Scott with the MCU’s Fantastic Four, which could pave the way for further involvement with the rest of the MCU’s characters.
It’s all just speculation, but with the Fantastic Four film set to release exactly two years from now, connecting Marvel’s first family with the rest of Earth’s champions is surely on Marvel’s to-do list, and this would be enough of a wink to the comics canon to swell the hearts of long-time Marvel fans as well.