Ant-Man after credit scenes offered two very big hints about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It has been a while since Marvel has given us two important credits scenes, rather than one important scene, and then a fun tag. We’ll be talking about some major Ant-Man spoilers, so only read ahead if you have already seen Marvel’s latest film.
‘Ant-Man’ mid-credits scene
Half-way through the Ant-Man credits, we see Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) showing his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) into a secret room. Now that Hank has shared the details of his wife’s tragic, but heroic death with Hope, he wants to clue her in to another family secret.
Inside the room, we see the Wasp suit, complete with wings. Hanks explains to his daughter that he and his wife were working on the suit together, and that he has now realized that they were working on it for her. As he adds, he now understands that it is time to share it with her. The camera zooms to Hope, who remarks, “About damn time.”
We’d like to believe that line to be Marvel’s nod to fans who have been asking to see a female superhero on screen (instead of a spy like Black Widow). Either way, it looks likely that the next time we see the Ant-Man characters in a Marvel film, Lilly will be suiting up alongside Ant-Man himself, played by Paul Rudd.
In the comics, as in Ant-Man itself, the Wasp is the alter ego of Janet van Dyne, Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother. Hope’s comic story is completely different from what they seem to be setting up in the films. Perhaps this new trajectory is the reason Evangeline Lilly was given Janet’s short cropped hair, and her last name (in the comics, Hope takes her father’s name instead).
‘Ant-Man’ after-credits scene
The second Ant-Man credits scene leads more directly into Marvel’s next film: Captain America: Civil War. In it, we see Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who appeared as Falcon earlier on in Ant-Man. The surprise guest joining him is Captain America himself, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). It quickly becomes clear why they are meeting: they have found Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan).
As Barnes seems to be restrained, Falcon and Cap discuss how they might get him out of where he is being held. Falcon is the one to come up with the answer, saying, “I know a guy” — presumably the same size-changing hero who got the better of him earlier on in Ant-Man.
The Winter Soldier plays an important role in the Civil War story in the comics, and if Barnes is being reintroduced so early in Captain America 3, this looks set like it could be carried over into the movies. Of course, rumors about Sebastian Stan’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been circling since he signed a 9 picture deal with the studio, but we won’t spoil the details for you here.
Interestingly, according to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, this scene was actually taken from the Captain America: Civil War dailies. That means it is the first footage we are seeing from Captain America 3, directed by the Russo Brothers and not set to hit our screens until next year.
As we’re seeing this scene in the Ant-Man credits, we can presume that it was set to take place very early on in Captain America: Civil War. Bucky’s disappearance was one of the major questions set up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and given how much else needs to take place in Civil War, we aren’t all that surprised to see a glimpse of this reunion almost a year in advance.