'Avengers: Endgame': Does Ant-Man Have What the Avengers Need to Defeat Thanos?

The Avengers: Endgame trailer arrived yesterday and brought with it a wave of excitement for the Avengers: Infinity War follow-up. It also brought back Scott Lang, who was believed lost in the Quantum Realm after Ant-Man and the Wasp. His arrival and a minor line from that film may be the key to defeating Thanos in Endgame.

In the trailer, Scott Lang shows up outside of the Avengers complex. It is clear that Captain America and the other Avengers believe Scott had disappeared after "the snap." His face was included among the list of those missing after Thanos' attack and Captain America at first questions whether the video feed of Scott at the door is old footage.

In truth, Scott is the only member of "Team Ant-Man" to survive the snap. He was inside the Quantum Realm when the snap took place. Those waiting for him - Hope van Dyne, Janet van Dyne, and Hank Pym - all vanished in the snap. Without his support team to pull him out, it seemed like Ant-Man would be doomed to wander the Quantum Realm like Janet was before him.

The Endgame trailer shows that's not the case. Scott is back and, apparently, fine, though there's no explanation of how he returned. But he may not be the most important thing to show up at the Avengers' front door at that moment.

The footage shows Scott standing in front of the van that Hank and Hope had used to stay one step ahead of the FBI after the Sokovia Accords were signed. In the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp, the quantum tunnel - the gateway to the Quantum Realm that Hank and Hope created to rescue Janet - was in the back of that van. Now it seems like a fair assumption that the Avengers have access to that technology.

The quantum tunnel may be the key to defeating Thanos. Photos from the set of Avengers: Endgame revealed the Avengers wearing some of their older costumes and seemingly reenacting the Battle of New York. Merchandising artwork suggests that the Avengers will also suit up to visit the Quantum Realm. These plot points are connected in that the key to time travel is likely within the Quantum Realm.

Before Ant-Man made his jump into the Quantum Realm, Janet - who had spent years exploring and surviving in that world - warned him not to get stuck in a time vortex. A phenomenon with such a name presumably alters time and perhaps gives Ant-Man his escape from the Quantum Realm.

Returning from the Quantum Realm, Scott may also realize that the time vortex is the key to undoing the damage wrought by Thanos. With this knowledge at hand, the Avengers suit up and head into the Quantum Realm to find the time vortex, travel back in time and stop Thanos before the snap takes place. At least that's the theory.

Then again, there's also the theory that the footage of Ant-Man at the Avengers complex is old footage. Either way, the moment seems to answer another question about the Quantum Realm left lingering after Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Do you think Ant-Man holds the key to defeating Thanos? Let us know in the comments!

Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters on April 26, 2019.

Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th, 2019.