Kang and Janet Probably Had Sex, Reveals ‘Ant-Man 3’ Writer

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Janet van Dyne (left), Kang the Conqueror (right) edit with emoji heart

Credit: Marvel Studios

So… this is unprecedented. Or for those who paid attention during Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — totally precedented.

Kang the Conqueror on his throne
Credit: Marvel Studios

Related: Tiny Secret In ‘Ant-Man 3’ Reveals HUGE ‘Fantastic Four’ Future

By now, many have seen Marvel Studios’ newest entry in the ever-popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Perhaps you might have picked up on it — or perhaps you never did — but apparently, a rather unforeseen couple might be more legitimate than you think.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)
Credit: Marvel Studios

When the Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Studios, it was more than a decade ago, after the astonishing success of Marvel Entertainment’s Iron Man (2008) film, that brought Robert Downey Jr. back into the spotlight. The MCU has come a long way, with the first three Phases termed the Infinity Saga — by now long over, concluding with Phase Three’s iconic ending in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), by directors (and brothers) Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (no, they’re not coming back to Marvel).

Endgame saw Robert Downey Jr. (whose return to the MCU has been much-discussed) as the well-loved Tony Stark/Iron Man sacrifice himself to defeat Josh Brolin’s Thanos, while Chris Evans as Steve Rogers fully retired his Captain America mantle — thus beginning a whole new Multiverse Saga based on the Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars storyline. Now, the first part of that Marvel Entertainment era, termed “Phase Four” by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige at San Diego Comic Con’s Hall H, is already over with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

L-R: Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Hope van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) exiting a building in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' (2018)
Credit: Marvel Studios

Related: Marvel Shares Very Promising ‘Avengers 5’ Update

Now, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five, Peyton Reed-directed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has hit theaters around the globe, putting current Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), along with partner Hope van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Scott Lang’s daughter, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), original Ant-Man and mentor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), wife and original Wasp, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) against the terrifying Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) in the equally terrifying Quantum Realm.

M.O.D.O.K (Corey Stoll) in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (2023)
Credit: Marvel Studios

Why would Kang the Conqueror and Janet van Dyne have sex?

Recently, IGN sat down with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness — who will also be writing for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025). Speaking candidly, Loveness dives into the possibility of romance in Marvel — namely, in Quantumania, and the unlikely (or perhaps not as unlikely) coupling of Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror and Michelle Pfeiffer. Loveness begins by calling Kang “Mr. Hunk”, mentioning his little, “mysterious orb” as an… enticing mystery that might draw one Janet van Dyne in, who is stuck seemingly indefinitely in the Quantum Realm:

Ohhhhhh. I mean, yeah you got Mr. Hunk over there all day, so mysterious. He’s got his little orb. I mean, I don’t know what’s in that orb.

Continuing, Loveness adds that this was an intentionally vague hint — that they were “very good friends”:

I intentionally left it a little vague, but clearly – let’s say they’re very good friends

It doesn’t end there, though.

Bill Murray in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'
Credit: Marvel Studios

Loveness goes on, insisting that he believes that not “every little detail” needs to be spelled out for the audience, that there is “a magic in what is unsaid and what is not explicitly said”. All of this can happen, according to him like “the wicked witch” in Wizard of Oz who just gets melted — where not everything needs an explicit explanation — where there’s “no setup… no foreshadowing”.

Wow. That essentially means that all of this “sexual tension” is not just implied — it’s heavily implied. The Ant-Man writers have definitely talked about this, and thought about it, at length! And can you believe that Loveness isn’t done explaining this couple?

 

Kang the Conqueror talking to Scott Lang
Credit: Marvel Studios

Next, Loveness goes on to detail his love of Jane Austen romance novels, that “are very sexually repressed”, which is something he connects with. He believes that there is “a lot of strength” in the kinds of relationships that can “go either way” — and he then says of the Kang/Janet couple that “maybe it did, maybe it didn’t”.

All of this very much falls in line with what was explored in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania when Janet explicitly tells her husband, Hank Pym, that she still “had needs” while down in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. It’s a sexual and possibly romantic relationship here that’s also heavily implied with Bill Murray’s Krylar, who was a fellow Freedom Fighter during those… lonely 30 years. Here, Loveness explains that Janet bringing any of her past up might “hurt a lot more people”, and rather directly agrees that yes, “maybe they had sex”:

It’s something that, it’s like your grandpa talking about what happened to him in the Pacific Theater in 1944. Best not to bring it up. And because if you bring it up, it’s going to hurt a lot more people. But yeah, maybe they had sex. Who knows?

What do you think about this implied couple of Kang the Conqueror and Janet van Dyne? Did you pick up on it during Ant-Man 3? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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