A lot of people were dissatisfied with Quantumania’s handling of Kang in particular, considering that the perfect setup was already set in Avengers: Endgame.
The next article contains spoilers from Ant-Man as well as the Wasp: Quantumania, in theaters now.
Ant-Man as well as the Wasp Quantumania introduced an all-new Marvel Cinematic Universe threat Kang the Conqueror. He’s expected to become the primary antagonist for the next few decades. Unfortunately, certain viewers had issues with Kang’s character despite how great Jonathan Majors’ performance was. This was the most disappointing part. Kang’s perfect segue to Kang was already in place as part of the biggest Marvel Studios storyline.
Avengers Endgame was an idea for time travel that is directly connected to Kang’s mode of operation. It could easily be utilized to establish Kang and give him more of a sense of danger and add several layers to the villain. This wasted opportunity makes Kang’s premise appear forced and could back to bite the MCU.
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Avengers: Endgame Created the Perfect Environment to Introduce Kang
In Endgame The Avengers went back in time to collect the Infinity Stones to stop the destruction that Thanos caused across the universe. The exact ramifications of this weren’t showcased however, things like Loki’s escape from the Avengers chains led to a divergent timeline. The multiverse refers to a parallel reality and alternate timelines. It’s also linked to Kang. This plot device would have been a better way to make Kang’s threat clearer. It lets you construct him from many angles.
There is a way to show (e.g. an alternate Quantumania) how Kang played with events in the primary Marvel Cinematic Universe. His various resets eventually allowed him to defeat Thanos through his actions. Naturally, when the Avengers reverse Thanos his victory over the universe, this will completely reverse Kang’s plan. Kang’s past and actions could be rewritten and changed. Now stuck in the Quantum Realm without any recollection of how he got there beyond being the Avengers’ doing and he’d have a greater reason to be against them and wish to escape his prison.
This could have made Kang more of an organic threat and would have increased his hatred for Scott Lang, the good guy. Ant-Man was the person who brought together the Avengers to execute their time heist scheme. He was the person who would be able to reverse everything Kang had done. What was once an unbalanced battle between a conqueror and a pint-sized Avenger could turn into a much more personal issue.
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Quantumania does not Cement Kang, the Next Big Bad
Unfortunately, nothing of the sort is done with Kang’s introduction and Kang’s villain is more sluggish because of it. In many ways, Kang appears to be a typical villain that Ant-Man must defeat, without the force, power, or force of Thanos. He’s defeated by an army of ants as well as the tiniest Avenger, which almost reeks of “Thanu’s theory”. It doesn’t make sense to think that Kang Council would be willing to go to war to get revenge on their fallen friend, given the fact that he was already exiled. This could be more rational if it were Kang variants whose plans were similarly disrupted by Avenger’s actions in the timeline.
The entire Kang time travel theme is ignored and even though it has the potential to build on the MCU’s greatest moments. This isn’t doing Kang any favors when it comes to being viewed as a significant threat, which could be a negative sign for his future roles in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. That movie may be able to turn him into the major villain he’s been offered lip service as is. But after the missed opportunity to give him depth and layers in his debut film, it could be too little, and too late.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now in theaters