In the post-credits of last year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott Lang found himself trapped in the Quantum Realm after his friends on the other side fell victim to Thanos’ infamous finger-snap. It was a moment that had Marvel fans immediately suspecting that Ant-Man’s new predicament would play a key role in Doctor Strange’s plan for success – a theory that was confirmed earlier this year with the release of Avengers: Endgame.
With the help of a lone mouse (who, according to Endgame co-director Joe Russo, “saved the universe”), Scott emerged back into his home world five years later with an understanding of the Quantum Realm’s potential for time travel. From here, the plot of the Avengers: Infinity War sequel is set in motion, as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes use Ant-Man’s new discovery to reverse the Snap. But is there even more significance to Scott’s imprisonment in the Microverse than meets the eye?
Specifically, some viewers have been wondering for the past year if Scott’s journey to the Quantum Realm helped protect him from the effects of the Snap. After all, Thanos’ mass dusting was supposed to kill off half of all life forms in the universe, but is the Quantum Realm even technically in the universe?
It’s an interesting idea, but according to co-writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Scott surviving the Snap had nothing to do with his location. At a panel held yesterday at San Diego Comic-Con, the pair clarified that the Infinity Stones could still effect people residing in the Quantum Realm, meaning that Scott was just lucky to be among the 50% who didn’t perish.
So, that clears up that old mystery, but Avengers: Endgame has still left fans with plenty more questions to consider, many of which concern either the Quantum Realm or the alternate timelines. Is the world of the Marvel movies about to expand beyond the confines of a single universe? It certainly looks that way, but perhaps we’ll get some clarification as this weekend’s SDCC continues to unfold.
