How 'Avengers: Infinity War' Sets up 'Ant-Man and the Wasp'

Warning - This Post Contains MAJOR SPOILERS

Marvel fans are still trying to process all of the drastic events of Avengers: Infinity War and Thanos' smash-and-grab conquer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which left have of the entire MCU dead, and the surviving heroes facing some pretty steep (if not insurmountable) odds in the upcoming Avengers 4. Two of the MCU heroes that could be one of the biggest factors to winning the Infinity War may ironically be the smallest pair in the lineup: Here's how Avengers: Infinity War sets up the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp.

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Timing Is Everything

First things first: we know that in terms of MCU chronology, the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp will take place before Avengers: Infinity War. That may lead some fans to be wondering how Infinity War could therefore "set up Ant-Man and the Wasp" at all?

The answer is that although Ant-Man 2 may take place before and during Infinity War, it's still hitting theaters after the big crossover event film, and therefore there are events in Infinity War that will prime Marvel fans to be making connections between the Ant-Man sequel and both halves of the Infinity War storyline (i.e., Avengers 3 & 4).

Quantum of Solace

The biggest key connective element between Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Infinity War will no doubt be the Quantum Realm. The mysterious sub-atomic realm was a major point of intrigue in the first Ant-Man, as eagle-eyed fans thought they spotted major Easter eggs like the cosmic entity Eternity depicted in a sequence where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is lost in the Quantum Realm. Doctor Strange also referenced the Quantum Realm, as it was one of the dimensions Strange observed when learning about the larger Marvel multiverse that exists. That's a lot of purposeful foreshadowing, which may soon pay off.

Ant-Man and the Wasp will center around Hank Pym's continued experiments in exploring the Quantum Realm, after Scott Lang gave him hope by returning from the realm, at the end of the first Ant-Man. It's expected that Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) will be rescued from the Quantum Realm during the film, and that could be the key connection to Avengers 4.

Key Lead-Ins

It's already been stated by Marvel Studios that both films leading into Avengers 4 (Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel) will be key to Avengers 4, as the MCU heroes try and fix what Thanos broke.

While we don't have the exact answers yet, the Quantum Realm and whatever secret weapons, technology, or cosmic powers that Captain Marvel brings to Earth in response to Nick Fury's call (in that Infinity War post-credits scene) seem to be the means by which the surviving Avengers will get a chance to strike back at Thanos, and possibly travel throughout time, as suggested by some early Avengers 4 set photos and rumors.

We don't know enough about Captain Marvel to speculate - but for Ant-Man and the Wasp, the Quantum Realm represents a place that's quite possibly outside the scope of space and time - or might be a crossroads or nexus point in the multiverse. If that's the case, Lang, Pym, and the Ant-Man 2 gang may have the perfect explanation for how they survived Thanos' deadly wish - and how they will be able to possibly save the MCU.

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Avengers: Infinity War is now in theaters. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6th, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.