Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania should have been Marvel’s big MCU Phase 5 opener. It’s a story that finally gives us the kind of multiversal action that will lead to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Kang (Jonathan Majors) was a highlight of Ant-Man 3, but, overall, the movie was a letdown, and the box office take of just $473 million is proof of that. But Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might have a second life on Disney Plus, as the streaming release date is apparently set for mid-April. Beware, some spoilers might follow below.
Why Ant-Man 3 is important for the MCU
Even though Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might not be as great as we had hoped, it still delivers several exciting details for the greater Multiverse Saga plot. We finally got to meet a bad version of Kang, and The Conqueror might not be the bad guy we all think he is, despite his ruthlessness and dictatorial approach to getting things done.
Like He Who Remains in Loki, this Kang is also afraid of the other Kangs. He fears they will endanger the multiverse and believes he is the only person who can stop his variants. Well, he thought he was, as he might be dead at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
It’s unclear whether Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) did kill the villain. But their actions certainly made the other Kangs in the multiverse angry. While Kang fears them, they’re also afraid of Kang the Conqueror. It’s the Council of Kangs that sent The Conqueror to the Quantum Realm rather than kill him. Yet they’re not happy to hear he’s dead.
The Council of Kangs might come after the Avengers, given what happened in Quantumania.
Finally, Ant-Man 3 also delivered a great credits scene that ties into Loki season 2. We know that scene is from the upcoming Disney Plus TV show featuring Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Mobius (Owen Wilson), and another variant of Kang.
When will Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hit Disney Plus?
We’ll have plenty of waiting to do before we see the action in Loki season 2. Marvel has delayed all of its 2023 projects except for Guardians Vol. 3, which hits theaters in early May. That’s why Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might be the first new piece of MCU content to hit Disney Plus this year.
According to Amit Chaudhari, Ant-Man 3 will be available digitally on April 18th. The Blu-ray version will arrive about a month later, on May 16th. As The Direct points out, MCU movies release digitally on the same day they’re available for streaming.
Therefore, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might release on Disney Plus on April 18th. This will give the sequel a 60-day theatrical-to-home release window — well beyond the minimum 45-day window.
Here’s how Quantumania’s theatrical run compares to the MCU Phase 4 titles:
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 70 days
- Eternals – 68 days
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 47 days
- Thor: Love and Thunder – 62 days
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 82 days
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – 60 days
That said, we’re still waiting for Marvel to confirm the dates above. But it shouldn’t be much longer at this point. Ant-Man 3 might fare better on Disney Plus than in theaters.
