Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is here, and it’s Kang’s world. The movie, which introduces us to Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, brings us down into the Quantum Realm. But we’re also learning a lot about what happened to Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) while she was there and what she was so afraid of.
Related: Understanding the Cosmic Consequences of Quantumania’s Probability Storm on The Escapist
Spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, the film brings Janet back to her family of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). But we don’t know much about the time that she spent in the Quantum Realm or what happened to her there. That’s where Kang comes in. While we met He Who Remains in Loki, Kang the Conqueror is another variant who … well, conquers. And so we meet him once he’s been sent to the Quantum Realm.
One of the questions, though, leading into the movie is simply this: What is Kang doing in the Quantum Realm in the first place? Is he using it as a way to achieve multiversal domination? As it turns out, much like Janet herself, he’s actually there against his will—not using it to his advantage, but trying to escape in order to continue his conquest. We learn about it through a vision that Janet has once they’re fixing his ship, but let’s talk about the why of it all.
Why though?
The short answer? He f**ked around and found out. Kang used his power to destroy entire civilizations, and in order to protect themselves, they banished him to the Quantum Realm—which means that Kang’s entire drive throughout Quantumania is to escape, not because he thinks he was wrongly imprisoned but because he wants revenge.
And he would succeed if not for Janet Van Dyne seeing Kang’s past and what happened to him. The reasoning behind his banishment is what drives Janet to destroy Kang’s chances of going back, because his freedom comes at the cost of entire civilizations. He would make them fall and bend to his will because that’s what Kang does. So, keeping him in the Quantum Realm is the safest bet, and even there, he uses his power to destroy and control people.
What will happen with all of Kang’s variants? Who is to say? But at least we know why Kang the conqueror was stuck in the Quantum Realm for all that time. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in theaters now and … I love Kang? Oops?
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
