It has been a bit quiet on Marvel Studios’ front. There were some tidbits here and there but nothing major. Well, looks like we got our biggest news just a few days ago. It was finally quasi confirmed that the next installment in the Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released in 2022. We still don’t know much about the project as of now but there are so many possibilities. Ant-Man showed what is possible when a man can shrink. We got a story inspired by classic heist films. The sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp played around with a stronger comedy-vibe. Director Peyton Reed got a chance to play around with Pym tech to highlight what is possible. Now, the question is where does he go from here? Well, I believe the next installment should take its inspirations from Kaiju films.
Young Recruits
There have been a lot of rumors floating around about what the next film will be about. One rumor pointed to the film being the introduction of the Young Avengers. Most of the team members are being introduced in their own series. Avengers: Endgame also gave us an aged-up Cassie Lang. It is a great way to introduce her to the team and give her a chance to become her own heroine. We are about to enter the next generation of heroes. They will need some guidance and the Pym family are a perfect choice. Who knows how many young heroes are out there in the world without someone to help them control their abilities. What if one of them might be much more dangerous than they know?
The upcoming Ms. Marvel show will reintroduce the Inhumans to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While nothing is confirmed, there is a good chance we might see the Terrigen bomb go off. This won’t just affect Kamala Khan but many other unsuspecting people. Among them is a young man named Kei Kawade a.ka. Kaiju Kid. He played a major role in Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed storyline. The reason for his name is due to his ability to summon monsters through his drawings. He later even learns that he can fuse or create new monsters at will. Not only would he make for a great addition to the Young Avengers but also create a unique challenge for the young heroes to face under the tutelage of Scott and Hope.
Size-Able Match
We know that M.O.D.O.K. was featured in an earlier draft of the third installment. The leader of A.I.M. could still fit into a story with Kaiju Kid. I am getting inspired by the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game here. That games’ story sees George Tarleton trying to save Inhumans before turning into the iconic giant head in a floating chair. They can still use this base concept and flip it on its head, A.I.M could still be in the script. With a sudden spike in monster appearances since the Terrigen incident, A.I.M is hunting down its source of origin. The organization filled the void that Tony Stark left behind after his death in Avengers: Endgame. After purchasing Hammer Industries, they became the #1 weapon manufactures and even added their own private army. It is unclear who took over the company after their original founder Aldrich Killian passed away. Still, someone is pulling the ropes behind the scenes.
It becomes a race for Ant-Man and Wasp to locate who they believe might be behind it. Scott is forced to turn into Giant-Man multiple times to take down a variety of different monsters. They also get interrupted by A.I.M that are overly vigilant towards the young team. As time goes by, the mysterious mastermind starts to get more involved as he realizes that Pym is also a part of the hunt. It all comes to the moment that an unsuspecting Kawade gets confronted by the private army. Scott tries to come to his rescue but also ends up captured. Both are brought in front of the man behind the scenes, M.O.D.O.K. He reveals that he once worked alongside Pym for S.H.I.E.L.D. His own ventures into the Quantum Realm opened his eyes to a new world and took a toll on his body, but his mind now knows everything he needs to know.
Kaiju Showdown
In his elongated speech, M.O.D.O.K. reveals that he has no interest in the Inhuman gene. The reality is that he was focused on the Quantum remnant that was found on each of the monsters. A part of his Inhumanity is connected to the realm, which allows him to imagine the kaiju he summons. He doesn’t have full control over them but it is something Michelle Pfeiffer‘s Janet van Dyne can help him control. Sadly, Kawade is worried he will hurt someone. He doesn’t want to lose his parents and feels threatened by both groups. He starts frantically finishing a drawing he’s been working on throughout the film so that they would leave him alone. The final monster he summons will be the biggest yet. Maybe he will even be someone we’ve met before.
Earlier this year, we heard a rumor that an iconic dragon of the Marvel universe will make his debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It is none other than the giant dragon that was introduced in Strange Tales #89, Fin Fang Foom. Yes, in the middle of the final battle between A.I.M.. and the Young Avengers, Kid Kaiju accidentally summons the MCU’s version of Godzilla. The young team fights a group of robots and Beekeepers, as Scott is forced to fight the colossal dragon. They could pay a great tribute by having them fight through miniature buildings that get destroyed throughout their fight. Part of me wished they’d even have a few shots of Fin Fang Foom being a guy in a rubber suit because Scott gets electrocuted and can’t see clearly. It all ends with Cassie joining the fray and calming down Kei, as A.I.M. retreats to fight another day. Foom gets transported back to where he came from, as Scott managed to keep him at bay. Janet promises to help him hone his abilities and he becomes a member of the now officially formed Young Avengers. Scott looks on in pride as his own daughter joins them.
Quantum All The Way
This concept continues where we left off. Hank and Janet are still researching the Quantum Realm, especially after the Avengers managed to travel through time during Endgame. M.O.D.O.K. being connected to it also adds to why the character is quite unhinged throughout the story. Pym has a similar track record like Tony for former colleagues turning evil. This way, the resurgence of A.I.M. also fits into the story and gives them a reason to be an active participant. Kid Kaiju’s ability of inter-dimensional vision in the comics. We know that this has been connected to the Quantum Realm, so it makes sense to connect these abilities. It also opens up a whole new world to explore as Hank might try to decipher what connection the Inhuman gene might have with the realm. MCU isn’t a stranger to tweaking some origins, so the film could also be introduced to explore how exactly the Kree has created this new race of humans long ago. Still, this is just an idea by connecting various dots that have been preventing themselves during the pandemic. Whatever Peyton Reed may have planned, I cannot wait to see it.
Source: DisInsider, Digital Spy
