It’s been over a year since Loki introduced us to Kang the Conqueror (or, at least, one of his variants), and we still have no idea what the time-traveling supervillain has planned. Played by Jonathan Majors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kang is set to return in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023 — and a new leak may reveal a surprising twist in his evil MCU plans.
Warning! Possible spoilers ahead for Ant-Man 3.
Ant-Man 3 and Kang
A recent post from the moderators of Reddit’s Marvel Studios Spoilers community features a long list of leaks covering everything from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to the MCU’s planned Daredevil requel. However, the biggest details focus on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, allegedly revealing everything from Bill Murray’s rumored role to how the big battle with Kang will play out.
Included among all these supposed spoilers is one intriguing detail: “Expect to hear the name Victor Timely in the movie.”
Who is Victor Timely, and why should we care? The answer could reveal Marvel’s bigger plans for Kang the Onquerror and the MCU’s Phase 4.
Victor Timely and Marvel
In the comics, Victor Timely is a not-so-subtle pseudonym taken on by Nathaniel Richards (aka, Kang the Conqueror) when he decides to travel back to the early 20th century and set up a new base of operations. After losing a battle against the Avengers, Kang escaped to the year 1901 where he called himself Victor Timely, founded a town in Wisconsin called Timely, and established himself as mayor.
Over the decades, Victor Timely would continue to rule the town, often using robots as stand-ins for himself as he continued to conquer the multiverse. These robots could even age, allowing Kang and his stand-ins to pose not only as Victor Timely but also as Victor Timely Jr. and Victor Timely the third as the years went by.
At the same time, Kang used his 20th-century base of operations to develop new technology. That included inventions that were even used by the Fantastic Four. He also constructed Chronopolis, his city outside time, which some MCU fans have speculated could actually be the skyline glimpsed in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man 2.
Why does any of this matter? Well, If Ant-Man 3 confirms the existence of Victor Timely, it could retroactively change the history of the MCU. Suddenly, the technological bedrock of Marvel’s cinematic universe could be based on Kang-developed tech — which could give the character a tremendous advantage when he finally reveals his evil endgame.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sneaks into theaters on February 17, 2023.