ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - Who Is Sonny Burch's Mysterious Employer? These Are The Most Likely Possibilities
Ant-Man and The Wasp teased the identity of Sonny Burch's mysterious employer but we never got to meet them. Now, we're taking a look at the most likely possibilities for a big reveal down the line...
Ant-Man and The Wasp does a lot to set up both of their futures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while we'll take a closer look at that in the coming days, we're now focusing on one part of the sequel, in particular. Throughout the course of the movie, Sonny Burch (played by Walton Goggins) mentions having an employer who is willing to pay billions for Hank Pym's new Quantum Realm technology.
While we know that he's a black market arms dealer, we never learn who he's working for and it's extremely hard to escape the feeling Marvel Studios is setting something up for a future Ant-Man.
The question is, what? Are we looking at the villain for Ant-Man 3 or a new big bad for the MCU who will ultimately replace Thanos? Well, here you'll find an in-depth look at the most likely possibilities and we think you'll be surprised by some of our suggestions (they make sense, though). So, to take a look at the full list, click on the "View List" button but be warned of some pretty MAJOR SPOILERS.
Justin Hammer
We haven't seen Justin Hammer since the All Hail the King One-Shot where we learned that Tony Stark's rival is still behind bars but it's entirely feasible that the former Hammer Industries CEO is now free and looking to break into more exotic forms of technology. Plus, Hank Pym's Quantum Realm tech would be a great way for him to rebuild his company and make his fortune back in the process.
It makes perfect sense that he would try and take the easy way out when it comes to acquiring it, hence why he would hire a man like Sonny Burch and seeing as Iron Man 2 largely wasted Hammer, it would be great fun to see Ant-Man 3 redeem him (Sam Rockwell would probably play off Paul Rudd brilliantly too). With Tony Stark on his way out, Hammer returning does have a lot of potential.
A Spider-Man Villain
The signs all appear to be pointing to Marvel finally bringing the Sinister Six to the big screen in the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel so what if Kevin Feige is quietly introducing that antagonist now before they make him a key player in Phase 4. So, who do you want to place money on? Doctor Octopus is a very strong candidate but so is Norman Osborn, especially as he rarely plays by the rules.
You have to remember that Burch's employer seemingly wanted to use the Quantum Realm tech to syphon off energy and make money fast, so that definitely sounds like something Norman might do to keep Oscorp afloat. On the other hand, as we don't know when Marvel's deal with Sony will end, Feige may have been reluctant to set the stage for a Spidey villain in case it never actually went anywhere.
A.I.M.
Another concept wasted by the Iron Man franchise, A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) was introduced as the brainchild of Aldrich Killian but there's definitely room for his empire to return in a very different form. A mainstay of Marvel Comics, Hank Pym has clashed with the group both with and without The Avengers and while we know the Russos are a fan of M.O.D.O.K., an argument could be made that the quirky villain fits a franchise like this a little better than any of the others we've seen suggested.
Perhaps M.O.D.O.K. wanted the Quantum energy to heal himself or for more villainous purposes but as A.I.M. looks to re-establish themselves - with or without that character - the Ant-Man franchise could be the perfect place for them, especially as it would be really good to see Killian's company live on.
HYDRA
We know that Hank Pym was once part of S.H.I.E.L.D. and that what was left of HYDRA wanted to buy the Yellowjacket tech introduced in Ant-Man, so why not bring them back to clash with Scott Lang and company in Ant-Man 3? While Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has already done a lot with the group, Marvel Studios hasn't and there's definitely room in this shared world to have another sector reform.
What they would want with Quantum Realm tech is hard to say but they clearly have a lot of money so whoever's pulling the strings needs to have a lot of money and we know HYDRA was made up of some influential, rich, and powerful people. In some respects, I'm not sure this is a well we need to see Marvel return to but in others, I definitely think there's some strong storytelling potential here.
The Mandarin
As of right now, the signs are all pointing to Iron Man probably dying or retiring in Avengers 4 and Marvel retiring Tony Stark for a while. That's a shame because it means in the decade Robert Downey Jr. has been playing the character, we've never got to see him clash with the one, true Mandarin, someone we know exists after it was confirmed in the previously released All Hail The King One-Shot.
There's nothing to say the Ant-Man franchise couldn't use him, though, and it would definitely be good seeing him established as a big bad for Phase 4 as that would both make fans happy and Marvel could even find a clever way to tie his magical alien rings into the Infinity Stones. Hell, if Iron Man is still alive and well, Tony could be brought back as a surprise for Avengers 5 to finally vanquish his old foe!
Egghead
Ant-Man and The Wasp makes it clear that Ghost's father died in the accident that granted her her powers but what if he didn't? We know that S.H.I.E.L.D. lies and if he too was given abilities (resulting in the deformed head his comic book counterpart has), then HYDRA may have nabbed him
He may not even realise his daughter is alive and could now be working against his old rival Pym as he blamed him for the death of her and his wife. Either way, it would be a waste to leave him in flashbacks so Egghead taking centre stage in the next movie could work even if it isn't the most exciting possibility.
The Leader
Talking of villains with deformed heads, have you forgotten this guy? Samuel Sterns underwent some sort of transformation in The Incredible Hulk and that's never been touched on since (mostly because Marvel won't be making another solo movie for the Jade Giant). Well, what if he's used his newfound intelligence to build a fortune before finally figuring out a way to get revenge on Bruce Banner?
Ant-Man and The Wasp's opening weekend could lead to Marvel deciding that pairing him up with another Avenger might be what's best for business and The Hulk isn't a bad option all things considered, especially if they have to team up to stop The Leader! Its certainly one pretty good option and the character does have the potential to be an Avengers-level threat if handled the right way.
Yellowjacket
Peyton Reed has indicated that Yellowjacket could still be alive and trapped inside the Quantum Realm but what if he's escaped already and is plotting his revenge? Honestly, it seems like something of a stretch but a relative of his could be working on trying to find him and that's why they wanted access to the Quantum Realm tech Hank has created. Whether or not we really need to see the return of one of Marvel's more disappointing bad guys is another matter but there's once again potential here.
Eric O'Grady
I know that Eric O'Grady didn't start off as a villain in the comic books but Marvel has been known to change characters to a significant degree; just look at Bill Foster! The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent could have easily risen up the ranks in HYDRA to amass a fortune and while he currently has his eye on the Quantum Realm tech, who's to say he couldn't later make his own, villainous Black Ant suit?
Ant-Man (and The Wasp) taking on another pint-sized threat may not seem overly exciting but there's a lot more Marvel could do with a revamped version of Eric andseeing as he's probably one of Hank and Scott's greatest rivals, I'm not sure who else would be a more fitting villain for the third movie...
No One
As much as it may have seemed like Marvel was setting the stage for a big bad to be revealed somewhere down the line, it is, of course, just as likely that Burch's employer was just a convenient plot device to explain why the character was in the mix here. Any number of energy companies or businessmen might have wanted Pym's work and they don't have to be a comic book villain!
Time will tell on that front but it would definitely be better for this to be building up to something. What do you guys think? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section.