‘Ant-Man 3’ Post Credit Scenes Explained
Ant-Man 3‘s post-credit scenes set up the story that will be told in Marvel’s next saga – a story that spans time and the multiverse.
The Multiverse Saga’s big bad is a time-traveling megalomaniac. Kang/Nathaniel Richard‘s goal is to rule everything: every timeline, every universe in the multiverse. Due to his time-traveling abilities and future tech, he’s shown up all over the Marvel Comics Universe and is preparing to do the same in the MCU. One of his variants was introduced in Loki last year, and yet another was the villain of Ant-Man 3. The post-credit scenes introduced even more.
Who were all of those variants?
Spoilers Below
via Marvel
Rama-Tut
The first version of the character to appear in the Marvel Comics Universe, but before he was Kang. In an issue of Fantastic Four, he’s a criminal from the future that’s grown tired of the peaceful world he lives in and travels back on the timeline to conquer ancient Egypt. For kicks. He then entices the Fantastic Four to come to fight him. For kicks. He loses and goes back home to the future.
Of the three in the first post-credit, Rama-Tut appears to be the most eager to fight. I’m hoping his next appearance is the Fantastic Four movie that’s part of this saga.
Immortus
The tall hat-wearing variant is a more scholarly, older Kang. There was a theory that He Who Remains was Immortus because he oversaw the timeline and worked with the Time-Keepers, but that was quickly disproven in the first post-credit. Kang abhors this future version of himself because he considers him weak and has vowed never to become him.
It looks like they’re changing the story a bit and making Immortus a sort of leader of the Kangs.
via Marvel
The Third Kang
The third version of Kang doesn’t look exactly like any of the versions in the comics. There are some possibilities based on what’s been going on in the MCU since the Infinity Saga closed. I’m leaning toward option one, but both would fit into the story they’ve been weaving.
Option One: Scarlet Centurion is the second name Nathaniel Richards goes by in the comics. He appears on Earth and tells the Avengers that he can help them make the planet a peaceful paradise. They take him up on it. Scarlet Centurion helps them capture every major hero and villain, claiming that their existence is keeping the planet from becoming a utopia. With this plan, the Avengers do the work for him. He conquers the planet and makes the Avengers dictators.
The headpiece he’s wearing in the post-credit scene looks like it could be a version of the comic book character’s helmet with the piece on his forehead.
Avengers Annual Vol. 1 #2 (1968) via Marvel
Option Two: This genius kid version of Nathaniel Richards is saved from a bully by his future self (Kang the Conqueror). Kang gifts the kid a set of armor and a glimpse into the future, where he is destined to fight the Avengers. Young Nathaniel rejects this future and uses the suit to travel back in time instead. In that timeline, he takes on the name Iron Lad and forms the Young Avengers with Eli Bradley (Patriot), Teddy Altman (Hulkling), and Billy Kaplan (Wiccan). All three have been introduced in Phase 4 – as well as other Young Avengers.
via Marvel
The Council of Kangs
All of those guys – they’re a direct rip from the Kirby/Lee comics of the 1960s. The Council of Cross-Time Kangs is a gathering of Kangs from across multiple timelines. In the comics, the meeting wasn’t just variants of Kang. It included creatures and aliens that took over the role of Kang in their own timelines. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of the rabble as they plan their takeover.
Avengers #292 (1963) via Marvel
Victor Timely
Victor Timely arrived at the turn of the 20th century after traveling back in time. This Kang variant settled in a small town in Wisconsin, became its mayor, and built a technology-driven empire that would shape the present day. The corporate mogul and inventor operated in plain sight, killing himself off and showing up as his son to hide his immortality.
We’ll be seeing him in Loki S2, which starts on June 9th. Timely is a perfect choice for the series.
Avengers Annual #21 (1992) via Marvel
