I finally came around to watch Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. Yes, I know I’m late, but life’s been busy. Anyways. Quantumania is a really good movie, which came to a surprise to me. I’m not disillusioned with Marvel, in fact, I like the last couple of movies probably a little bit more than the average gal or guy. But Quantumania, in my opinion, brought some fresh air to the Marvel movie quality. Not least owed to the outstanding performances across the cast.
But most of all, the ending. The ending is crazy.
Full disclosure, much of what I’m about to write I know from Erik Voss of the New Rockstars Channel on Youtube. I don’t know if I can add anything new to it, but I’m so excited about it that I need to write about it.
What makes me excited? Glad you asked. The writer – Jeff Loveness – and Director – Peyton Reed – managed to pack a lot of layers of meaning into a relatively short scene.
First Layer: A perfect day
Quantumania’s ending scene is a classic mirror image to its beginning scene. Such scenes provide a comparison and showcase what has changed due to the hero’s journey. Here, Scott is strolling down the same street as in the beginning. He gets recognized and greeted by passers-by while he is reminiscing of his feats in an inner monologue. Not much has changed. However, there are two instances where Scott’s inner monologue slips into doubts. He’s not sure if he really defeated Kang and contemplates what he has unleashed if he did. But these instances are played off as a joke in this happy ending. After all it’s a comedy. At the very end we see how Scott organized a birthday party for Cassie, who doesn’t even have birthday. But he’s missed so many of them, that he wanted to celebrate one no matter the date. So, a sweet character moment for the relationship of our Hero and his daughter lifts up the spirit one last time, and the movie ends.
Second Layer: Dark spots in a perfect world
The instances of doubt are not only jokes however. They also show some development in the character. At the beginning of the movie, he was more or less done with the hero thing and concerned himself first and foremost with his family. Now he is worried about the fate of the world. It shows what happened on his journey instilled a new, deep-rooted fear in him. The fight with Kang made him insecure and sceptical. Even the birthday celebration of his daughter doesn’t distract him fully from the feeling that something ain’t right. The filmmakers manage to create an eerie feeling even for us, the audience. And of course, we know the fear is justified, because we know we haven’t seen the last of Kang.
Third Layer: Reality is not perfect
There are more signs besides the moments of doubt, that are distorting the image of a perfect day. Signs one might miss. I certainly did, until New Rockstars pointed them out to me. A vendor that mistook Antman for Spiderman in the beginning now remembers Scott correctly. Of course, that is possible. But in a movie, everything happens for a reason. And the latest adventure shouldn’t have affected people’s perception of Antman, because nobody knew about the Quantumrealm. There are other signs. People on the street are too friendly. Their gaze lingers a bit too long on Scott. One man turns after passing him, looking like he’s seen a ghost. His former boss who hasn’t baked since the 90s has made a cake for him. There are lots of violet and green surrounding Scott, even the birthday balloons. It’s not Cassies’ birthday. Didn’t that exact couple pass him only moments ago?
Scott Lang is most likely not in his original timeline anymore. It seems like a simulation, a fake world to keep him happy, possibly distracted. Maybe contained?
Fourth Layer: What is reality?
What if not only Scotts surrounding is fake, but his inner world too? In the beginning, his monologue is revealed to be him reading from his autobiography to an audience. There is no such reveal in the ending sequence. So, who is he talking to? Or should the question be, who is talking to him? Who is saying “You know what, it’s probably fine. Like I said, life doesn’t make any sense. Maybe don’t ask so many questions Scott. Maybe don’t overthink everything.”, with quite some agitation to Scott, after the first moment of doubt?
In the Loki-series, “He, who remains”, another version of Kang, knows everything Loki is about to say, because he’s written it. Is there a Kang writing Scott’s story now? Are the moments of doubt, initially played off as a joke, really a desperate struggle to regain free will? Is the abrupt change back to happy thoughts not a coping mechanism, but the Kangs distracting Scott from fully realizing what’s going on? Of course, it also just might be a quick show of weakness, letting the doubts surface, only to suppress them to go about one’s day, as we all do from time to time.
But that’s what makes it good writing.
This amazing ending scene combines character moments and a closure to the story to a fitting lightheartedness of a comedy. But adds a lingering feeling that something is definitely not right. It leaves holes that the minds of the viewers can fill with anticipation of Kang’s power. A truly great introduction of the next Thanos-level MCU villain.