One of Marvel Comics most compelling villains, Kang the Conqueror, is finally set to make his MCU debut but maybe not in the franchise anyone would have ever expected. Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, a Variant of his He Who Remains seen in Season 1 of Loki, will debut in Marvel Studios’ smaller franchises in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Much has been made about the severe threat Kang poses and the juxtaposition of his debut occurring in a very humor-heavy franchise. Nobody at Marvel Studios is pulling any punches about it, either, making it very clear that Lang is heavily outmatched against the warlord. Given the unlikely scenario, one might wonder how the pairing ever came to be and the answer lies with writer Jeff Loveness.
While speaking with Empire about the upcoming film, Loveness detailed the genesis of the unlikely combo. “The first discussion we had was, ‘What if Ant-Man is accidentally in an Avengers movie by himself?‘”, said Loveness. Kevin Feige’s belief that it was time for Ant-Man to “take his position at the front of the podium” and kick off Phase 5 certainly called for a shift in the direction of the franchise and Loveness’ decision to write an Avengers film minus the Avengers represent just that. They also add to the sense of urgency and despair that fans are already feeling after the latest trailer showed Scott Lang in a world of hurt.
Given Kang’s desire to escape the Quantum Realm and get to conquering and the fact that the next Avengers’ film is subtitled The Kang Dynasty certainly doesn’t give the impression that things will end well for the Ant-Family, however, Lang is used to being the underdog and may still have trick or two up his sleeves when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17th.
Nearly two years ago during the press junket for WandaVision, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige was asked if he could clarify when the studio’s Phase 4 would come to an end. Whether because he wasn’t sure at the time or because he was keeping it to himself, Feige simply answered, “No.” It wasn’t until a year and a half later, during SDCC ’22, that fans finally learned that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would end Phase 4 and that the studio had chosen a surprising film to launch Phase 5: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. With its release date just over a month away, the hype machine for the film has been switched on and fans are starting to realize that the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise won’t be the palate cleanser its two predecessors were. This one is big–really big–and will “have a significant impact on the future of the MCU” according to producer Stephan Broussard. How did the Ant-Man find himself in such a prominent position in Phase 5? According to Kevin Feige, he “earned” it.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania isn’t just kicking off Phase 5, it’s also playing a major role in advancing the the shared narrative of the Multiverse Saga, similar to how Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War moved along the plot of the Infinity Saga. Having a character like Scott Lang’s Ant-Man leading the way might seem surprising, but in an interview with Empire, Feige revealed why now was the time for Ant-Man to carry the torch.
We wanted to kick off Phase Five with Ant-Man because he’d earned that position. To not simply be the back-up or the comic relief, but to take his position at the front of the podium of the MCU.
The One-Above-All
While Lang my seem “jokey”, he played a major role in the events of Avengers: Endgame and has certainly done his fair share or super-heroing. With Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America and Iron Man gone and no team of Avengers assembled, Lang’s status in the world has shifted (as seen in the trailers) and now so does the franchise’s status within the MCU.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania opens on February 17th.
Marvel’s Phase 5 will kick off in earnest with a Kang variant going to war with the two Ant-Men, the two Wasps, and the 6th Young Avenger to join Earth 616 in Stinger/Stature when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters next month. Paul Rudd‘s Lang trying to balance his newfound fame with reconnecting with his now-almost-grown-up daughter who has grown up without him over the last five years are stakes made for drama, but it is the role Jonathan Majors‘s Kang plays in these proceedings that is really what impacts the overarching multiversal war coming down the pike. However, judging by the new trailer, war is not what the Conqueror starts out aiming to do, as it is a deal made with Scott Lang gone awry that prompts Kang to beat the everliving ants out of Lang. What is this deal that Scott alludes to? We believe it has to do with the image Empire released recently, with a Conqueror sitting on his throne.
The throne this Kang is sitting on in said image is actually what is known as the Time Chair, and it is an incredibly important piece of tech with ties to those two big Avengers movies we are barreling towards at warp speed. The Time Chair is the device Kang uses to travel anywhere in time that he pleases, and it could stand to reason that we are about to begin to find out that this Kang (before he was trapped in the Quantum Realm) had used the Time Chair to directly impact various points in and out of the MCU. During one of Kang’s initial appearances in the comics, he uses the Time Chair to go back in time to when Steve Rogers’s Captain America perished into the ice. After seeing Cap go into the ice, Kang uses the Time Chair to teleport the Avengers to a future Earth in ruins, with Captain America being his scapegoat for the destruction. Going down the rabbit hole, it is possible that Kang wants to use the Time Chair to do exactly this because Cap didn’t prune all the branches when he went back, but that is for another article. Even more important than how the Chair is connected to the Avengers and their past is how it might be connected to their future.
The Chair itself, in the comics, is powered by the same giant rings that power Kang’s forcefield: you see the giant rings in the latest trailer, which ironically have the same markings as the bangle Kamala Khan got from her grandmother and the Ten Rings Shang-Chi got from his father. The last we saw of the rings, they were acting as a beacon, for something or someone, and it is possible that they are acting as a signal to the Time Chair and its owner. Looking back at the comics for a potential roadmap, Iron Lad (a future Iron Man) is a descendant of Kang, and it is Earth 616’s Iron Man who ultimately disables the Time Chair. Upon disabling the Chair, Iron Man tells Kang that he was able to do this because the chair’s design is actually based off 21st Century Stark Technology tech. If we are to believe that Phase 5 is dealing with the theme of legacy (we have legacy heroes being swapped out for the next generation), then it could stand to reason that it will be the next generation of Avengers who fight Kang first, before potentially giving way to a multiversal group brought together to bring the fight. Thus, it would also stand to reason that Kang’s power comes from artifacts spread throughout the multiverse that have been passed down to the next generation of protectors. What, then, does this have to do with the finale in the Ant-Man trilogy?
Kang needs Ant-Man to help him find something, and it needs to be something really important if he would offer him the chance to regain some time (the one thing this Kang has dominion over) with his daughter. Now, yes, villains lie, but the more compelling villains actually don’t lie: they manipulate and bend the truth, but they don’t outright lie, and Kang may be no different. He will plan to work with Ant-Man and, upon seeing him with Janet Van Dyne, who is responsible for him being stuck in the Quantum Realm, he chooses to renege. Janet could be the one who disables the Time Chair during her time in the Quantum Realm, and who ultimately hides the piece missing in another reality: there is a line in the Ant-Manand The Wasp where she tells Scott to not fall into any tunnels while in the Quantum Realm, and we are guessing she knows not to do this from experience. What Kang needs found, we think, could be the movie’s MacGuffin, and it could be one of the rings that powers his Time Chair: without it to power his chair, he cannot escape.
You know, one of the rings that make up Kamala’s bangle, and one of the rings that make up the Ten Rings Shang-Chi has. And, maybe, He Who Remains had a role to play in the disbursement of the Conqueror’s power years ago.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a game-changer for Marvel Studios. More than just a significant tonal shift from Captain America: The First Avenger, it was a significant tonal shift from pretty much every film that Marvel Studios had released before it and set the path for one of the main plot threads of the Infinity Saga. It’s fair to say that its impact is still being felt as Marvel Studios moves through the Multiverse Saga which will continue when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania kicks off Phase 5 on February 17th. There’s been plenty of big talk about the big plans for Quantumania, especially by director Peyton Reed, but according to producer Stephan Broussard, it’s set to be a Winter Soldier-level game-changer.
Having served as a producer on Captain America: The First Avenger and Ant-Man and The Wasp, Broussard is uniquely positioned to see the similarities between the major shift in directions for both franchises. In describing the impact Quantumania will have on the future of the MCU, Broussard pulled no punches.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a stand-alone movie with a storyline that will have a significant impact on the future of the MCU. We talk about movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in which you saw the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it felt like the entirety of the MCU turned on that. Captain America: Civil War was another film where you saw heroes divided and in camps and battle lines being drawn—it really felt like the future of the MCU was going to be defined by the action of that film. We really liked the idea of making this Ant-Man film as important and integral to the MCU going forward.
The events of the film will set the stage for multiple upcoming MCU films, something Reed described as “extremely exciting” and not something MCU fans probably expected out of the Ant-Man franchise. Fans of the previous two Ant-Man films should not despair, however, that the third installment will lose focus on the core of what the franchise has always been about: the relationship between Scott and Cassie.
One of our philosophies that we’ve always applied at the studio is to just go back to character and to root it in character, and the science-fiction and the world-building is fun but ultimately it’s window dressing to the characters who are on this journey. I think as long as we never forget that this is a story about a father and his daughter reconnecting, which essentially is what this film is, then the headiness of the multiverse, the headiness of the Quantum Realm sorts itself out because you only need to understand that it’s a father-and-daughter story.
Stephan Broussard
Cassie, now played by Kathryn Newton, has always been the apple of Scott’s eye and now that his life has calmed down after the events of Avengers: Endgame, he’s hoping to make up for lost time with his little girl…who is no longer so little. “I really wanted to explore that relationship between Scott and Cassie“, said Reed. “How does Scott relate to her now that she’s an adult?“, he continued. “Cassie is an idealist—she wants to do good in the world, but she’s still trying to figure out what that means for her. She’s trying to find her voice as a young woman. She can be quite critical of her dad, so we had fun with some of the generational divide between father and daughter in this movie.”
Big action and big heart should make for a big success, giving fans more of what they’ve enjoyed in the first two films while giving others more of what they have been asking for when the film hits theaters next month.
Jonathan Majors isn’t playing Kang the newly-elected President of the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Rather, the talented actor is playing Kang the Conqueror, who director Peyton Reed calls “the most powerful being in the multiverse”, and the Quantum Realm will have spent a considerable amount of time learning that lesson when the Ant-Family arrives there in Quantumania.
As much as the third entry in the Ant-Man franchise will tell the story of Scott, Hope, Cassie, Janet and Hank, it will also tell the story of the Quantum Realm and its inhabitants who it would seem are among the first to fall under Kang’s rule. Though it played a major role in the events of Avengers: Endgame, fans have only briefly glmipsed the Quantum Realm so far. Part of that glimpse teased there was more to the subatomic world than handsome tardigrades and Quantumania is set to explore the cities and civilizations of the Quantum Realm. That meant some serious world building had to take place and producer Stephan Broussard said that meant asking a lot of questions.
What does technology look like down here? What does society look like down here? What does religion and politics look like down here? I think one of the reasons why the MCU has been successful and had the longevity that it has had so far is that we view new characters and new stories as a chance to kick down the door on whole new worlds.
Stephan Broussard
The latest trailer for Quantumaniagives fans a look around the Quantum Realm, including some parts of it that look like they’ve been through hell and according to Katy O’Brian, who plays a Quantum Realm native, there’s a good reason for that. O’Brian plays Jentorra, the leader of a group of beings whose life in the Quantum Realm was “turned upside down by Kang.”
Jentorra’s band of creatures, known as the Freedom Fighters, were glimpsed in the initial teaser for Quantumania and will serve as the audience’s window to reality of Kang’s rule over the Quantum Realm, one of which O’Brian paints a grim picuture.
We’re constantly on the move, constantly running, hiding and trying to fight back and reclaim our homeland. We’re fighting a losing battle—he’s got way more people, we’re outmanned, outgunned. But there’s a little bit of hope we have to hold onto.
Katy O’Brian
Though the interests of Jentorra and the Ant-Family may not seem aligned at first as Kang and Scott seem to be intent on working together, the trailer teases a betrayal “by Kang leading to the film evolving into what Broussard calls “an epic sci-fi war movie.” That’s not a description MCU fans ever thought they’d hear associated with the Ant-Man franchise, but Reed’s determination to go bigger and bolder in Quantumania steered the film in that direction. Wars, however, mean casualties and when up against an opponent like Kang, there’s no telling how far he’ll go to get what he wants and who he’ll kill to get it.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17th.
While Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp might not be categorized as divisive films, the action comedies haven’t been every fan’s cup of tea. Criticized for being too silly and not featuring enough action, the first two films in the franchise have been small-scale films serving as palate cleansers after big Avengers events. Returning director Peyton Reed set out to make Quantumania something much larger and much different and the latest trailer for the film looks like he may have succeeded. No director can do it alone, however, and Reed had quite a bit of help in the form of franchise newcomer Jonathan Majors, who plays one of Marvel Comics great villains, Kang the Conqueror, and who Reed credits with bringing “an entirely different energy to the set” and disrupting the comfortable tone of the franchise.
Majors wields an incredible amount of talent and charisma and, according to Reed, his presence as the film’s villain on the set of Quantumania was “intimidating.”
Jonathan brought an entirely different energy to the set. The Ant-Man movies have always been comedies. I like to have a really relaxed, fun set so that the actors can go in front of the camera and feel comfortable trying weird stuff. It’s a safe space. And Jonathan came in as this disruptor—this very intimidating force.
Peyton Reed
Reed’s words call to mind impactful performances such as those by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Bill Skarsgård in It where the actors inhabited to roles so fully that their co-stars were put aback. Reed believes that Majors intensity served as the perfect foil to co-star Paul Rudd‘s trademark goofiness, highlighting the significant gap between the two characters.
It was so great to put that energy up against Paul Rudd’s energy, and it mirrored what we were doing in the movie itself. A lot of people might consider Ant-Man the ‘weakest’ Avenger: ‘What can that guy do? He shrinks and talks to ants. That’s ridiculous.’ Putting that guy up against Kang the Conqueror, who’s the most powerful being in the multiverse—that seemed really exciting to us.
Peyton Reed
From the looks of things in the latest trailer, Rudd’s Scott Lang is in for a world of hurt as he goes up against a Kang, who Reed calls “one of the great antagonists in the comics.” The brutal beating Lang took has fans thinking Quantumania might be the end of the road for the character. With the movie’s premiere just over 5 weeks away, fans won’t have to wait long to find out.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set for its next major shift in the status quo. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will seemingly be the ultimate resolution for the Ant-Family trilogy, while also marking a starting point for Phase Five and various new plot threads. The film is set to introduce the next Avengers big-bad in Kang the Conqueror as portrayed by Jonathan Majors. As seen through the marketing and the latest trailer, Marvel Studios is making it clear that the Ant-Man franchise is moving away from the strictly light-hearted tone of the first two installments. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has lofty expectations for being a turning point in the Multiverse Saga. With that in mind, here are five elements Marvel Studios’ next film needs to get right in order to be a success.
Connections to Phase Four
With the conclusion of Phase Four, one major complaint from fans online was the lack of a “connective tissue” between projects. Some have drawn the conclusion that Marvel Studios has no “plan” for the Multiverse Saga; even after they showcased their future plans. This is a ridiculous conclusion to draw with Phase Four mirroring the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with projects being building blocks to introduce characters and concepts that will pay off by the time films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars hit theaters.
When it comes to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, the film has a golden opportunity to prove the nay-sayers wrong. As the first project of Phase 5, Marvel Studios can quickly change the narrative into that of full anticipation for how each project connects to the conclusion of this saga. This was a key element that made the Infinity Saga such a triumph in the 2010s. If Quantumania can be the film to kickstart that positive momentum for the general direction of the MCU, then it will be that much more strongly received historically speaking.
And based on eagle-eyed viewers of the trailers, this seems to be the case in tying Chronopolis to important artifacts from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Ms. Marvel. Here’s hoping that these connections will be overt plot points in the new Ant-Man and The Wasp film.
Lead Into ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’
While having an eye toward the past is critical to the success of Quantumania, focusing on the future is equally important. The upcoming film is the first introduction to Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror; not counting the wildly different variant shown in the Loki season one finale. As such, this film enters the road to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty for him to become the main antagonist of the MCU.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania absolutely needs to get the character right in order for the film to be a worthwhile trilogy ending and for the Multiverse Saga to be worth watching. Audiences should be leaving the film in February with a clear understanding of why Kang is dangerous to whatever permutation of the Avengers he faces in 2026.
And Quantumania being a direct path to The Kang Dynasty goes beyond just the titular character. The film’s exploration of the Quantum Realm would very well benefit from also being an exploration of key plot elements useful for the remainder of the Multiverse Saga. The Ant-Family should be host to pertinent information for the next Avengers film beyond just Kang himself. This certainly is something hard to quantify in the immediate future but would help the long-term perception of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania like previous films in the Infinity Saga.
Set Up William Jackson Harper for More MCU Appearances
This is the most specific element of this list, but one that shouldn’t be overlooked. William Jackson Harper is one of the most underrated actors working in Hollywood today. He was a frequent name on fan castings for Fantastic Four, and his character on The Good Place highlighted how excellent Harper would’ve been as Reed Richards in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With the recent news of the actor being cast in a supporting role for Quantumania, some quickly jumped to the conclusion of Harper being introduced as the new Mister Fantastic through the Quantum Realm. However, this is clearly not the case with casting still well underway for Marvel Studios’ 2025 reboot.
With that in mind, one would hope that Harper will still have a meaningful role both in Quantumania and become a recurring face in the MCU. Rumors have circulated that he could be playing a variety of characters which included Psycho-Man, Quasar, or just a citizen of the Quantum Realm. Ultimately, what’s most important is that he holds genuine relevance to the film. Having an actor as talented as Harper in a supporting role is a massive boon for Marvel Studios, and placing him in a decently important role can easily create a new memorable face for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Setting the Stage for ‘Young Avengers’
While Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a good job setting up the next two phases, one major component that currently feels underdeveloped is the Young Avengers team. A number of key players have been introduced through the previous two years, but a Young Avengers project has curiously remained absent in the tease of the future.
It would be a massive missed opportunity to not make use given their relevance in Kang’s storyline, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is the perfect place to set the stage for that to happen. Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang could instantly become a fan-favorite character by having the events of Quantumania motivate her to form a team of fellow young heroes to help curb the multiversal calamity awaiting. This wouldn’t need to be a time-consuming element of the film to be successful. In fact, a stinger (pun intended) towards the end would be able to satiate audiences and cement a positive reception for the film.
A Strong Conclusion to Ant-Man’s Arc
While most of the elements presented for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania are esoteric to the larger MCU, arguably the most important element for the film is successfully rounding out its self-contained trilogy. While the first two films in the franchise aren’t among the most popular, the Ant-Man movies have told a strong unifying story about family and striving to be the best version of one’s self.
Paul Rudd has provided a strong performance to grow Scott Lang into a true hero for both the world at large and his daughter Cassie. Quantumania provides the opportunity to conclude this storyline in a grandiose fashion, regardless of who does or doesn’t return following the events of the film. His time as an Avenger has forced him to lose key amounts of time with his daughter and has been challenged in being present for key parts of her life.
Now while faced with his greatest individual opponent and having to do so side-by-side with his daughter, Peyton Reed has a critical opportunity to tell a profound story about legacy and what a parent passes onto their child. If done correctly, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania can become the next classic interpersonal tale in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite the massive stakes attached to the future of the Multiverse Saga.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has been written by Jeff Loveness and is directed by Peyton Reed. The film stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfieffer, Kathryn Newton, and Jonathan Majors. Quantumania opens exclusively in theaters on February 17.
A new look at Marvel Studios first 2023 film, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, is slated to be featured during tonight’s NCAA Football National Championship Game. If you’re wondering how to catch it and what to expect, you’ve come to the right place.
When Will It Happen?
The CFP National Championship game is slated to kickoff at 7:30 PM ET on January 9th. However, exactly when during that game the new look will debut is anyone’s guess. When Marvel Studios has debuted footage from films and/or series during sporting events in the past, the footage tends to drop a little later in the broadcast of said events than non-sports fans like. The networks like to keep those viewing numbers high and having a bunch of Marvel fans tune in to catch footage of the next big thing helps.
Where Can You Watch It?
The CFP National Championship game will be broadcast on ESPN and the footage will debut there. In the past, Marvel Studios has used TV spots to debut portions of a new trailer and then released the full trailer online simultaneously. The good news is that even if you are not watching the game, the new spot/trailer will go online right away so you can catch it on YouTube or your favorite Twitter account.
While it’s not a hard and fast rule, Marvel Studios does seem to follow a bit of a trend when it comes to promoting their films. The first trailer is a true teaser that gives the basic premise of the film, shows off some of the big characters in the film and some fancy VFX shots but doesn’t really give the audience too much in terms of the plot. For example, the Quantumania teaser establishes that Cassie’s device transports the Ant-Family to the Quantum Realm, which looks really cool and is where Kang, who seems pretty powerful, wants to make a deal with Scott.
When it comes to second trailers, however, Marvel Studios tends to be a little more forthcoming with plot points. Traditionally, the studio has placed all kinds of spoilery things in their second trailers. Sometimes those things are clearly spoilery teases (Charles Xavier’s voice in the second trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness); Other times, fans don’t even know they’re being spoiled (Nick Fury’s return from the dead in the second trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier). So what could that mean for the new Quantumania footage?
One might guess that the trailer will give fans a little better idea of just what it is Kang is up to and the extent of his power and knowledge. The footage shown exclusively at D23 contained an extended version of the scene between Scott Lang and Kang from the first trailer and it really put an emphasis on just how outmatched Scott was. Another solid guess is that the new trailer will reveal the film’s other/true villain: M.O.D.O.K. Given that merchandise of the character has already gone on sale, there’s no reason to hold back on hyping up fans with a look at the giant, floating head. Will they tease the big reveal that he’s being voiced by Corey Stoll? No reason to think they wouldn’t feel free to do that, but who knows when it comes to these things.
What Else Should I Know?
Given the proximity of this trailer to the release date of the film, it’s very likely that tickets will go on sale the night of January 9th as well. It’s also worth noting that as spoilery as second trailers can be, if you’re truly worried about going into the film unspoiled, do not continue watching promotional footage from the film as the release date draws nearer. Marvel Studios has a fair track record of releasing incredibly spoilery TV/social media spots in the days right before release, so after tomorrow you might want to consider muting some keywords on social media.
Reshoots have become quite common for any production, but it became quite normalized when Marvel Studios included it as part of their usual production cycle. While reshoots received a bad reputation over the years, most notably with projects like Justice League, it’s an important part of any filmmaker wanting to tighten up their film as much as possible ahead of its release.
Of course, there’s the trouble of including additional shots requiring CG work, which would cut it close before a film releases and adds a lot more pressure to those involved with that part of the process. Ever since COVID hit, that time window has gotten difficult to keep in check and also added more pressure to the industry.
Yet, it’s interesting to note that Paul Rudd has seemingly been spotted by Twitter user @paulruddcom undertaking some reshoots for the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s notable given that the film is set to release just next month and they may be adding some more minor shots to the production. He’s not in his Ant-Man suit and it seems connected to the opening hinted at in the film’s trailer. So, they may just be adding some minor scenes as a pick up, which was also hinted at by Big Screen Leaks.
For now, it shouldn’t be something to worry about and reshoots have also commonly taken some time up to the release. Here’s just hoping that there aren’t many CG-intense sequences that had to be filmed putting more pressure on the artists bringing the vision of the Quantum Realm fully to life in the upcoming sequel. It should also be noted that most of the film was filmed on the Volume, which may elevate some of that pressure, but we know too little from the production to really know how much they are still working on at the moment.
Marvel Studios 2023 theatrical release is all sequels, all the time. Two trilogy cappers (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) lead up to The Marvels, the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, which is the only 2023 film with a new director at the helm. Only three films, but quite a bit to be excited about, so we thought we’d get you ready by letting you know what to expect from Marvel Studios upcoming slate of films!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Peyton Reed‘s Ant-Man films hold a funny spot in the minds of MCU fans. Some people love them, some people find them incredibly boring and some people aren’t sure why they spent time watching them. While fans may not love Quantumania, it’s unlikely anyone will be bored or wonder why they spent time watching this one as it will advance the longform narrative of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga more than any project to date.
Expect big action, a wild antagonist in Corey Stoll‘s M.O.D.O.K., some surprising revelations about the Ant-Family and a knockout performance by Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who is all about getting out of the Quantum Realm to go about…conquering. Also expect some interesting twists, turns, double-crosses and unresolved issues that will set the gears in motion for the big Avengers films at the end of the Saga!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Originally targeted for a May 2020 release date, the final chapter in James Gunn‘s Guardians trilogy (and in his time at Marvel Studios) arrives this Summer with the promise that not everyone will make it out alive and no one will make it out unchanged. The emotionally charged first trailer made it clear that just about every member of the team will face a life-or-death situation as they investigate Rocket’s origins and his ties to the High Evolutionary.
Expect good music, a day-late-and-a-dollar-short adaptation of Adam Warlock, an unsettling villain in Chukwudi Iwuji‘s oddball High Evolutionary and tears. While death is on the line for all of the Guardians, our money is on Dave Bautista‘s Drax kicking the bucket, especially given his recent expression of relief that the “silly performance” of the character is behind him.
The Marvels
The Marvels represents a totally different direction for the Captain Marvel franchise under the direction of Nia DaCosta. It’s a bit of a risky move, having the film’s two co-leads and the main plot device be products of Disney Plus streaming series that not all moviegoers will have watched, but it’s also the kind of change of pace the franchise needs after a less than stellar first outing.
Expect a much more upbeat, fast-paced film than Captain Marvel and the possibility that Iman Vellani steals the show. Despite the wacky body-swapping premise, it’s not all fun and games, however, as The Marvels has a very real and terrifying tie to the big arc of the Multiverse Saga that will help fans who have so adamantly repeated that they don’t know where things are headed figure out where things are headed!
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
