The mention of incursions in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania suggests that the MCU is headed for massive changes, with Doctor Strange at the center.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!A major event in Avengers: Secret Wars has been made even more likely thanks to mentions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Aside from the appearance of Spider-Man’s variants in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Multiverse of Madness was the only film in Phase 4 to fully explore the concept of the multiverse, as Doctor Strange and MCU newcomer America Chavez traveled through the multiverse to escape the Scarlet Witch. On their travels, however, the pair received a prophecy that will become very important as the MCU moves through Phases 5 and 6, and ends the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Secret Wars.
During Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Strange came face-to-face with Earth-838’s Illuminati team, including the likes of Professor X, Captain Carter, and Reed Richards, who provided the MCU’s first mention of incursions. Incursions happen when multiversal travelers affect universes to which they don’t belong, causing one or more realities to be obliterated. This was a prominent plot point for Multiverse of Madness, as Strange and 838’s Christine Palmer find themselves in Sinister Strange’s reality, one which is in the process of being destroyed by an incursion, teasing the eventual storyline for the events of the MCU’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Quantumania Makes Doctor Strange 2’s Incursions Set Up For Secret Wars Bigger
As the first film in the MCU’s Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania made huge strides in setting up the Council of Kangs as a major threat, and also cemented incursions as a terrifying possibility for the MCU. Much like He Who Remains warned Loki and Sylvie of his evil variants in Loki season 1, Kang the Conqueror warned or a threat greater than himself during Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but instead focused his warning on incursions. It’s likely that, throughout his multiversal travels, Kang has witnessed, or potentially even caused, incursions in order to cull timelines and protect his own reality.
The debut of the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s mid-credits scene saw the MCU’s newest villain group overseeing many timelines, so it could be assumed that incursions are a massive part of their overarching plan for the multiverse. The fact that incursions have resurfaced in the MCU so soon into Phase 5 suggests that they’ll be a very prominent presence hanging over the heads of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the Multiverse Saga continues to expand. Incursions are a key aspect of Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars crossover event, so it’s likely that the 616-universe of the MCU will see some catastrophic changes during the MCU’s Phase 6.
Secret Wars’ Incursions Will Make Doctor Strange Key To The MCU Again
There’s perhaps no other hero in the current slate of the MCU who knows more about the multiverse than Doctor Strange, so it’s curious why he has been missing from the franchise since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Whisked away by Clea in the post-credits scene to deal with an incursion that he supposedly caused, it’s unclear when Doctor Strange will return to the MCU, but the fact that he is connected directly to incursions means that he will be at the center of many future MCU stories. Avengers: Secret Wars should bring Doctor Strange back to the MCU, especially if an incursion threatens to destroy the MCU.
