In the wake of the apocalyptic gloom of Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp was welcomed as a low-stakes and breezy follow-up from the MCU, but is it possible that the Peyton Reed-helmed film actually laid some important groundwork for the Marvel franchise’s future?
In an interview with CBR earlier this week, Reed discussed the Quantum Realm and hinted that there may be more to this mysterious region than initially meets the eye:
“And then I would also say in the Quantum Realm, as Hank and Janet blast their way out of the Quantum Realm in the quantum pod, maybe freeze frame on some of those, and see if you can see anything in the distance in the Quantum Realm.”
Chances are, Reed is referring to the sub-atomic city that fans have previously spotted in the background of his film. On its own, this may not be a lot to go on, but the Quantum Realm has been a part of ongoing speculation regarding what’s to come in this superhero saga.
Tom Holland, for instance, added fuel to the theories earlier this year when he accidentally let it slip that Doctor Strange will have some lines about this trippy zone in next year’s Avengers 4. A deleted scene from Ant-Man and the Wasp also suggests that Janet van Dyne encountered some form of intelligent life while she was trapped in these parts. And speaking of getting trapped, the ending to Reed’s film ensures that the realm is going to be significant to Scott Lang’s story in the Infinity War sequel.
While Ant-Man and the Wasp may not seem like the most consequential entry in the MCU, it would be all too Marvel to have the Quantum Realm be introduced in one of the franchise’s standalone flicks before becoming a central part of the saga. And with Scott and Hope’s latest feature coming to Blu-ray and DVD on October 16th, there may even be more clues to be found if fans look closely enough.