The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trailer brought the expected reveal of Kang the Conqueror, but is he the MCU movie’s true villain? An Ant-Man MODOK leak from earlier this year suggests the cyborg will be in Quantumania, but is MODOK the actual, main villain of Ant-Man 3? If so, Kang the Conqueror may just be misdirection on Marvel’s part.
Is Ant-Man MODOK the real movie villain over Kang?
It is possible that the evil MODOK will prove to be the main villain of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and not Kang the Conqueror, despite Jonathan Majors having such a significant role in the recently released trailer. This will be MODOK’s first official appearance in the MCU, following the cancelation of the non-canon Hulu series.
Earlier this year, MODOK was confirmed as part of the next Ant-Man movie in a teaser trailer exclusively shown to San Diego Comic-Con attendees. There was apparently only a single shot of the villain in that trailer, but he was completely absent from the new trailer Marvel released. Nevertheless, it feels like there may be some bait-and-switch going on.
Kang is being set up as an Avengers-level villain for the whole of MCU Phase 5 and 6, the same level or greater than Thanos, so it seems a little beneath him to “just” be the villain of the third Ant-Man movie. MODOK, a major Marvel villain who as yet has not really appeared in the MCU, would seem perfect for a “standard” villain. It’s possible that Bill Murray’s unnamed character could be George Tarleton, the human alter-ego of MODOK, although that is only a guess at this time.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens on February 17, 2023, so there is plenty of time left for Marvel to release another trailer that reveals MODOK and clarifies his role in Ant-Man 3.
