WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for Loki episode 5, "Journey Into Mystery," now streaming on Disney+.
A rumor about Yellowjacket's return in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has gained traction following yesterday's episode of Loki.
On the latest episode of Vanity Fair's Still Watching: Loki podcast, host Joanna Robinson reacted to the Yellowjacket Easter egg in episode 5 of Loki. In The Void, where the bulk of the episode takes place, a giant Yellowjacket helmet can be glimpsed at one point. It's one of dozens of Easter eggs in the latest Loki episode, but for Robinson, it may just tie into a theory that the series takes place in the Quantum Realm -- and will tie into the third Ant-Man film.
"I don't know if that's an indication of something to come, but we do know that Corey Stoll, in some shape, will be back for Ant-Man 3," Robinson said of the moment.
With Avengers: Endgame tying the Quantum Realm into time travel, fans immediately began speculating that the TVA exists in the microscopic dimension when Loki arrived. It's said that the offices of the TVA, and the giant city in the middle, exist outside of time. As such, many have theorized that the organization actually resides in some part of the Quantum Realm. Janet van Dyne's return in Ant-Man and the Wasp certainly teased the idea that there was some sort of society in the dimension, but it hasn't been followed up on in a major way. That will likely change in Ant-Man 3, however.
While few details are known about the film outside of its evocative subtitle, Jonathan Majors will play Kang the Conqueror, one of the biggest villains in the comics and a master of time travel. Given his role in the books and connections to the TVA and Ravonna, fans have also theorized he will be the big bad of Loki. The latest episode even teased his presence once again with the shot of Qeng Tower in The Void, a nod to one of Kang's schemes in the comics.
The final piece of the puzzle is an Instagram post from the Wasp herself, Evangeline Lily, back in May. In the post, teasing the upcoming Ant-Man threequel, Corey Stoll was mentioned along with the confirmed cast of the movie. Stoll's Darren Cross/Yellowjacket was last seen being shrunk down into the Quantum Realm, which has led to plenty of theories about his eventual return, especially given the second film involved rescuing Janet from a similar fate.
While it's likely Robinson's statement is based on this same piece of information, her certainty and credentials certainly lend significant credence to the idea that Quantumania will see Yellowjacket return in some form and the Loki Easter egg is both a reminder of his existence in the MCU and a connection to Kang. How great the connection, however, won't be known until next week's finale of Loki and the 2023 release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Directed by Peyton Reed, Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/The Wasp, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. The film arrives in theaters Feb. 17, 2023.
Source: Still Watching: Loki