According to a recent exclusive from Empire, Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania is all set to introduce a seemingly new cosmic superhero named Quaz in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The character will be portrayed by William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) and is expected to be an ally to Ant-Man and co.
However, some MCU fans believe the character to be a play on Quasar from the comics. While not much is confirmed about Quaz, Empire claims that the character will be a Quantum realm freedom fighter of sorts, who would attempt to free the micro-verse from Kang The Conqueror.
Will Quaz Turn Out To Be Quasar in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania?
The confusion behind the origin of this character stems from the fact that he does not exist in Marvel Comics. Thus, it is plausible that Marvel Studios is introducing Quasar as Quaz, similar to how they had introduced Zendaya’s MJ in Spider-Man Homecoming.
Due to the similarity between the names, i.e. Quasar and Quaz, it is possible that the latter is just a short version of the former name. This is in line with how MCU portrayed Michelle “MJ” Jones instead of Mary Jane “MJ” Watson.
Furthermore, in the comics, Quasar is essentially a mantle adopted by those who are in possession of the Quantum Bands. The mantle debuted in 1979’s Incredible Hulk #234, where the character Wendell Vaughn was the first to use it. While there might have been a hint about Quaz’s origin in the recently leaked Ant-Man 3 transcript, Marvel Studios has since then removed most traces of that from the web.
However, Quaz being a version of Quasar from the comics is likely due to the Quantum realm being one of the story’s main plot points. In Marvel Comics, Quasar’s Quantum Bands derived their energy from the Quantum Zone. While this zone was not precisely a microverse like the Quantum Realm, the MCU may have amalgamated the two dimensional planes. With these hypotheses in mind, it is likely that Quaz is essentially a version of Quasar from the comics.
Possible Quasar, Kang The Conqueror Connection With Shang-Chi And Ms. Marvel In MCU
Ever since the official trailer footage of Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania showcased concentric ring-like structures filled with energy, many keen-eyed viewers attempted to establish a possible connection to Shang-Chi’s rings and Kamala Khan’s bangle. In addition to the similar energies to the aforementioned artifacts, the ring structures of Kang‘s base in the Quantum realm contained scriptures or designs that were similar to that of the ten rings and the bangle.
However, this may lead to further possible revelations in the film, if Quaz is indeed Quasar. In the Marvel Comics, Quasar’s Quantum Bands were a possible prototype for the Kree’s Nega-Bands which were used by Captain Marvel. Interestingly, in the MCU, Kamala Khan’s bangle may have a similar origin to the Nega-Bands, which would establish a connection between Quasar and the bangles.
Furthermore, as showcased in Ms. Marvel, the bangle in Kamala Khan’s heirloom was acquired by her great-grandmother Aisha in a Ten Rings temple in India. While the bangle was worn on a blue arm (seemingly belonging to a Kree), the temple being associated with the Ten Rings, ties them with Shang-Chi’s rings as well.
This begs the question about the Noor Dimension and the Quantum Realm. While Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings are of yet unspecified origin in the MCU, it has been well-established that Kamala Khan’s bangle has a connection with the Noor dimension. With these questions in mind, it is likely that the Quantum Realm would have to have a connection to the Noor Dimension as well if Kang’s base indeed employs a similar tech or design as seen in the bangle or the ten rings. Since both the Quantum Realm and the Noor Dimensions are Earthly planes, seemingly situated in the same universe (i.e., Earth-616 Universe), there must be nexus points that would explain the convoluted yet similar energy sources in these artifacts.
Thus, with Quasar’s comic connection to the Quantum Bands, it is very plausible that the character’s origin in the Quantum Realm may hint at additional revelations about the ten rings or the bangle.
