Ant-Man’s double credit scenes explained (SPOILERS)

Here lie spoilers, guys!

Marvel’s Ant-Man just released this weekend, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting addition to the MCU. But what about the credit scenes? Lots of fuss has been passing around regarding the double stinger at the end of the film and it’s leading to some confusion with people who aren’t familiar with the comics and it’s whipping up those of us who are. So, let’s talk about them.

The first one is an easy one to acknowledge. Hank and Hope Pym, recovering from the events of destroying the Yellow Jacket tech, have now found better footing with each other and are on the path to correcting their previously strained father-daughter relationship. The movie itself already established that Janet, the original Wasp, was lost to the Quantum Realm and served as the catalyst for not only the rift between the surviving Pyms but the reason Hank walked away from further developing the suit technology.

In this scene Hank takes Hope to a secret room and shows her a new, more advanced Wasp suit that had also been scrapped after the loss of Janet, revealing that they had been developing the suit for Hope’s own use and indicating an approval for her to join the superhero family business. It’s worth noting here that Janet van Dyne was one of the founding members of the Avengers in the comics, as well as serving as their leader at various and extended points. That’s a pretty big deal and I really wish we could have seen more of her in the Ant-Man film than we actually did.

However, this scene does manage to inch us towards setting up Phase Three and the expansion of the hero roster, especially with Civil War on the horizon. Which brings us to the second scene.

The final scene before the theater lights comes up is a tense looking Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers in hushed discussion and it’s reveled that they’ve found Bucky Barnes, who we haven’t seen since the ending to Captain America: The Winter Solider. Wanting to help, but in a tough place, Steve mentions that the “accords” won’t allow for Tony to help them with the situation. This is the first concrete mention that we’re getting regarding the Registration Act.

What the hell is the Registration Act? You know that Civil War movie that’s coming up? That.

Basically, it all falls out like this, all those epic fight scenes and battles we love come at a cost, not only in the sense financial collateral damage but also in the loss of human life. Watching the Hulk and Iron Man go ham at each other in a full on bust up is exciting, but the reality is this really only ever ends in death and destruction for the innocent suckers who were unfortunately caught in the way.

Naturally, people start to recoil from the superheroes they had previously embraced and the government steps in with a law that essentially states that all super heroes are to register under their real identities and operate only under government sanction. The act serves to violently divide allies, especially Captain America and Iron Man, the former against and the later for registration. Lines in the sand get drawn and things get really damned ugly for all involved.

This is what has people so whipped up about the scene as a whole and when Sam turns to Steve and goes “I know a guy,” it's a pretty clear indication of bringing on Ant-Man for some covert work, which is just even more to get excited about.