Until his untimely death, it was clear to any superhero fan that Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was the centerpiece of the MCU.

Whose idea was it to create Ultron? Yes, the generous multi-billionaire known for his witty remarks! Who first thought of using time travel to stop Thanos? Totally the guy who was into shawarma, nukes, and casual sexism!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been searching for a new centre ever since Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame. Doctor Strange appeared ready to take over, but he was dethroned by Wong as supreme sorcerer shortly thereafter and nearly destroyed the universe while attempting to aid Peter Parker.

While Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel has been mainly MIA since Endgame, Thor has gained a beer stomach and is pursuing a path of self-discovery. Why shouldn’t Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne?

The latest trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hints that the size-changing heroes will soon be at the centre of a new Marvel chapter in which Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) emerges as the (perhaps ultimate) big evil.

Marvel movies follow a formula in which one of our heroes makes a mistake that wreaks havoc on the cosmos, multiverse, or shrunken realm of unreality. From the trailers, we learn that Scott, Hope, Cassie, Janet van Dyne, and Hank Pym had all been pulled into the quantum realm because Cassie, Lang’s daughter, decided to send a signal there.

A new trailer for the film was released this week, and it appears like Kang has tricked Lang into a trap. The plot seems to centre around Ant-Man naively agreeing to a bargain that would restore the lost years he never got to spend with Cassie due to the events of Avengers: Infinity War, but you never know these days with teasers.

Although it’s not out of character for an ex-con like Lang to make poor choices, it’s hard to imagine how the film can make us believe that anyone would agree to a deal with some shady person they met in the quantum world.

Surely one of the gang can talk Lang out of becoming the latest in a long line of Marvel superheroes doing really braindead things on a whim that could end up ruining all of existence, and it appears that Pfeiffer is attempting to do just that.

After all, wasn’t the whole idea of the second season of the Disney+ show Loki that Kang was back and ready to wreak havoc on the multiverse?

If that’s the case, then why is he trapped in the quantum world?

Is there more than one reason for Kang’s incarceration?

Could it be that the combined efforts of all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will eventually release him, with the final obstacle being overcome in time for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025?

Or maybe it’s just one of Kang’s versions, which would be convenient but ultimately unsatisfying!

Whatever the case may be, Lang has evolved greatly from his days as a bumbling crook. I really hope he doesn’t become known as the guy who let Kang out and didn’t survive in the annals of Marvel history.

It’s possible that even the ultimate decent guy in the story will make a huge mistake at some point, given that the narrative’s millionaire geniuses, deities, and mighty wizards have all been brought down by hubris.