"Ant-Man," Marvel Studios' latest offering, is one of the least connected films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Overall, it's a movie that can stand on its own without the Avengers swooping in to save the day. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't fit into the larger MCU. The film contains director references to "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and next year's "Captain America: Civil War." However, the movie also nods toward the upcoming "Doctor Strange" as well.
"Ant-Man" spends a good chunk of time explaining the Quantum Realm. What many fans may not realize is how this thread connects to the mystical "Doctor Strange."
"If you look up the study of quantum mechanics, when you get down that small, as Hank Pym says, space time is meaningless, and there's a lot of that stuff that applies to Doctor Strange," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said via Cinema Blend. "So this is sort of an appetizer for, 'If you think this is weird...'"
Feige went on to say that the existence of alternate dimensions is "essentially the whole crux" of "Doctor Strange" and that the Quantum Realm in "Ant-Man" is "essentially the tip of the iceberg for the stuff in Strange."
So while "Ant-Man" isn't meant to be just another piece in the MCU puzzle, it's clear that it still links up with the shared cinematic universe with more than just namedropping. The theories it puts forth and the ground it breaks will lead into other Marvel offerings.
"Doctor Strange" will star Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. The film is slated to hit theaters on November 4, 2016.
