“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), and Hope’s parents as they get pulled into the Quantum Realm, where things are a terrible mess. Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) spent 30 years trapped there before she was able to return to the “real” world, and she kept her family in the dark about what exactly went on down there. The heroic quintet then find themselves trying to help the subjugated residents of the Quantum Realm break free from the rule of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), whom Janet helped gain his powers back before realizing his true motives.
All this – plus, of course, ants – come together for a high-octane conclusion. Ahead, let’s break down how the group ultimately defeats Kang, with full spoilers.
How Does “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” End?
The source of Kang’s multiversal traveling powers is a gold ball of interlocking rings. During the movie, we learn that Kang was exiled to the Quantum Realm by some of his other variants, who wanted him out of the way so they could roam free. His ship is destroyed, and his magical gold ball doesn’t work. He then meets Janet, who had been in the Quantum Realm for some time already, and, thinking he’s simply lost like she is, she helps him fix his ship and the orb. However, when Janet touches it when it’s back online, she connects to Kang’s mind and learns that he really wants to conquer all timelines.
She uses Pym particles to blow the orb up to a massive size so that Kang can’t use it. But he decides to focus on taking over the Quantum Realm with his restored powers, and Janet becomes a freedom fighter against him until she’s rescued from the realm.
In the movie, Kang wants Pym Particles so he can get the golden orb back. He captures Scott and uses Cassie as leverage to get him to do just that. Scott and Hope get the orb together, and as they try to decide what to do next, Kang takes it back from them – and snatches Janet.
Thankfully, Cassie is able to release some of the freedom fighters Kang previously locked up, including the indomitable Jentorra (Katy M. Brian). They send out a message for everyone in the realm to rebel, and as Kang tries to power up his ships with the orb, his base is taken over by rebels and the Ant-Family.
Still, it seems like Kang and his massive powers are going to win until Hank calls in his biggest asset – ants. When the gang was sucked into the Quantum Realm, Hank’s ant farm full of high-tech ants was sucked inside, too. And while they were separated, the ants progressed and became even more technologically advanced. Hank is still able to call them, and he charges in with them to attack Kang.
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There’s one more piece of the puzzle – M.O.D.O.K. (the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is actually “Ant-Man 1” villain Darren Cross, aka Yellowjacket, whom they sent into the Quantum Realm in the first film. Kang turned him into M.O.D.O.K., a giant floating head with tiny arms and legs and very scary lasers. Cassie convinces him to stop being a “dick,” and he sacrifices himself to help the ants defeat Kang.
The Ant-Family then uses the golden orb to open a portal back to the real world, and everyone gets through except Scott, who’s attacked by a still-alive Kang. Just when it seems Kang might win, Hope comes back through, and they use the energy from the gold orb to fry Kang, evaporating him. They make it back to the real world before the portal closes.
Back in San Francisco, Scott’s life mimics the opening of the movie. Everything is great! Except he keeps having the creeping fear that they were wrong to kill Kang and that they’ve unleashed all his variants on the multiverse. He pushes it aside over and over, but it keeps coming back up.
Is Scott right to be afraid? The end-credits scenes prove he is.
