SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains spoilers from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Proceed at your own risk.
Ant-Man and the Wasp debuts this weekend and we are so excited to see the new villains, the new heroes, and all of the secrets and surprises from the mysterious Quantum Realm. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas are back for the second installment, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Peña, and new villain Hannah John-Kamen.
The biggest question going into this film was, when does it take place? During Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War? After? Before both? Know we know.
After Captain America: Civil War
In the first trailer that debuted, Scott asks Hope if she would have joined him in the film, Captain America: Civl War. His question is laid over scenes from the film, specifically the big airport battle where Scott turned into Giant Man. The choice to cut these scenes into the Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer deliberately lets us know that it takes place after the events of Civil War.
So Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place after the airport scene in Civil War, after Scott, Hawkeye, Falcon and Scarlet Witch were arrested by General Ross and held on the off-shore base. Scott was being held prisoner there, but was set free by Captain America at the end of Civil War. The was the last time we saw Scott Lang and his Ant-Man suit.
Per Black Widow’s line in Avengers: Infinity War, Scott has been on house arrest since those events. Both Ant-Man and Hawkeye cut deals with the US government to go on house arrest for their involvement with Captain America and his violation of the Sokovia Accords.
Before Avengers: Infinity War?
In real time, two years will have passed between Captain America: Civil War’s and Avengers Infinity War’s theatrical releases. While Ant-Man and The Wasp technically comes out in theaters after Infinity War, the events of the film must take place between those two years.
According to Black Widow’s house arrest line, Ant-Man and the Wasp could take place during the events of Doctor Strange. It could take place during the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming. It could also take place during the events of Black Panther. That two year time period is vast and Scott could easily still be on technical house arrest when Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place.
One thing is for sure, Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place before Thanos snapped his fingers in Infinity War. A LOT of people disappeared at the end of that film, and we’re pretty sure Ant-Man wasn’t one of them. Hopefully the film answers the timeline question more succinctly, otherwise we may see a lot of dust clouds at the end of the film.
Timeline Confirmed
Spoiler alert: we now know when Ant-Man and The Wasp takes place. Scott has three days left on his house arrest term and his term was two years after Civil War. So, the movie takes place three days before Infinity War.
If you stayed through the credits, then you know that Janet, Hope, and Hank all vanished in Thanos’ finger snap. All that’s left is Ant-Man. Ouch. Looks like he’s stuck in the Quantum Realm until Avengers 4.
Ant-Man and The Wasp is in theaters now.
