Marvel has changed the superpower limits of one of Avengers: Endgame's ending battle, and specifically how Ant-Man was seemingly able to break his own Giant Man rule.
Indeed, there's nothing new about superpower scale changes throughout future MCU movies mitigating the issue of "superpower creep" as Marvel look to introduce more heroes with more impressive powers and more significant threats for them to face. While Iron Man started out fighting a business rival, his final moments saw him take down a God-tier Marvel villain in the shape of Josh Brolin's Thanos. The future inevitably means everything gets bigger.
Ant-Man Just Changed How Big He Can Really Get
And in this case, "bigger" is the appropriate word. Ahead of his likely return in Avengers 5 or 6, or in a potential Ant-Man 4 project, Scott Lang's newest addition to the MCU is a memoir. Written by the character himself (and "ghost-written" by Rob Kutner), the book offers an Avengers-eye view on the Infinity Saga and on Lang's journey to becoming one of Earth's mightiest heroes. And that's where the power change comes in as Lang explains how big Ant-Man can actually grow. Throughout "Look Out For The Little Guy", Scott Lang refers to himself as able to grow as big as a skyscraper. Right in the introduction he specifically calls out being able to grow as high as the Empire State Building, which stands at over 1400 feet tall.
Previously, Ant-Man's biggest size is stated as 65 feet in Ant-Man & The Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame allowed him to grow even bigger in the final battle with Thanos (even if his size there isn't confirmed). Crucially, Lang is also limited in how long he can stay at such a large size, because of the strain on his body. The idea that he could grow even bigger, especially up to hundreds of feet (if not thousands), seems impossible in that respect. Marvel Comics, though, offers further insight, as Ant-Man has been able to grow so big he exits the universe, though that's a rarity. And very unlikely in the MCU.
Ant-Man Also Explains How He Can Get Taller Than His Own Limits
While the 65 Foot "limit" Marvel introduced in Ant-Man & The Wasp - and even the 100ft plus increased size he achieves in Endgame - are some way from Lang's claims of being able to get as big as a skyscraper, he does offer insight into how he can break past those heights. Despite the frequency of him using the "skyscraper" height claim (which would mean a minimum of 490 ft by US definitions), it's very possible Lang is merely exaggerating, but it doesn't quite fit with his otherwise self-effacing tone throughout the book. But Lang does seem to suggest that Giant Man growing to vast heights is theoretically possible.
In Lang's retelling of the Infinity Saga, he says he was able to grow bigger for Avengers: Endgame's ending battle because he was in better shape and the circumstances of Thanos' threat. In effect, Ant-Man confirms that he could potentially push himself beyond all conceivable limits if necessary; if a Marvel villain's threat was so significant that he had no choice and the right amount of conviction. Whether he'd be able to sustain that size at all, or whether he'd actually be any use to the Avengers is another debate, but he at least answers the question of whether he has a firm limit to how big Ant-Man can actually grow.
Scott Lang's "Look Out For The Little Guy" is available to buy now.
