This post includes some spoilers for Loki, but none for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The third Ant-Man movie sets the scene for the next Avengers team-up, introducing Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) as the MCU‘s new big supervillain. But “introducing” isn’t entirely the right word here, because Kang already appeared in one episode of the Disney+ series Loki, kickstarting his role in the MCU’s multiverse saga.
The question is, do you need to watch Loki to fully understand Quantumania?
The MCU already broached the topic of alternate universes in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Loki explores the nitty-gritty of multiverse theory. The show follows Loki as he joins the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization that monitors discrepancies in the timeline. We meet a bunch of alternate Loki variants along the way—and, eventually, Kang.
In the comics, Kang is a time-traveling supervillain equipped with futuristic technology, often starring in epic stories that require a big team of heroes to defeat him. Jonathan Majors portrays him as charismatic and self-controlled, debuting in Loki‘s season 1 finale before his lead role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania this year.
In terms of understanding the basic plot, Loki isn’t essential viewing for Quantumania. This movie is more closely connected to Avengers: Endgame and the previous Ant-Man films, depicting Kang as a new enemy for Ant-Man and his allies. Loki and the TVA aren’t mentioned. However, you’ll probably get more out of Kang’s role if you’ve already seen Loki—partly because you’ll have a better idea of Kang’s backstory and motives, and partly because of the multiverse stuff.
Loki‘s showrunner Michael Waldron is one of the lead writers for this phase of the MCU, penning Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Avengers: Secret Wars (2026). Meanwhile, Quantumania screenwriter Jeff Loveness will write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025). These two men are masterminding Kang’s role and the multiverse arc, so while Loki and Quantumania aren’t directly sequential, there’s still some overlap.
If you watch Quantumania without seeing Loki, Kang’s role makes sense but he probably won’t carry as much weight as a villain. The events of Loki make it easier to really believe that he’s a universe-destroying force, and fans will need to internalize that idea ahead of upcoming movies. So make of that what you will!
