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.
Disney and Marvel Studios unveiled the latest trailer and poster for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on Monday during the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Along with the above trailer, Marvel also debuted a brand new poster for the film.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit theaters on February 17th.
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.
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.
If there ever is a tradition with any Marvel Studios project, it’s the long discussions surrounding what runtimes the latest epic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might have. With only a month left to go before its next major release, the speculation began on just how long Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might end up being. Would the usually comedy-centric franchise stick to a shorter runtime or expand with its more Avengers-level-style teasing?
Well, it seems that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the longest entry in the trilogy, as according to Fandango the film will run for two hours and five minutes. That puts it well ahead of Ant-Man‘s one hour and 57 minutes. Ant-Man and the Wasp was only a minute longer than its predecessor. The film’s runtime puts it ahead of other Marvel Studios films like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. Though, it’s not going to rival any of some of the major crossover films, which share some of the longest runtimes in the franchise.
When compared to the Phase 4 entries, the film is only a minute shy of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ runtime. Though, Thor: Love and Thunder remains the shortest entry of that Phase, as it’s still the only film to be under two hours. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicks off Phase 5 and it’ll be interesting to see if these longer projects remain and only a handful tends to stick to shorter runtimes moving forward; a potential learning from the last films.
2023 is finally upon us. We’ve entered a new year and Phase for Marvel Studios, as we’re about to see what else they might have up their sleeve. To kick off the new era, we finally meet Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While this part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was always more of a comedy, the third entry will seemingly up-the-ante in a spectacular way with Cassie Lang also growing into a new role.
The first artwork already gave away she’ll become a hero of her own, but the new artwork is offering a closer look at some of the updated designs of these characters. As shared by @MCU_Facility, there are a few new pieces that offer a look at the various designs and Ant-Man’s family still remains the most consistent across the various characters, especially with Lang’s costume combining elements from her father’s and van Dyne’s.
Interestingly enough though, it seems like Cassie won’t be getting a superhero name just yet. In the comics, she’s known either as Stature or would eventually get the name Stinger; something a bit closer to that of Ant-Man and Wasp.
They might still be trying to keep some secrets from viewers, and it’s being hinted at as the next big event film for Marvel Studios. So, it’ll be interesting to see if Quantumania can offer that what some had hoped to see in the more comedic-driven entry of the MCU.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is back in style as they’re about to face the Quantum Realm in Quantumania. Not only its natural dangers are going to be in their path but also some new and familiar enemies. We finally get our first look at Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror; only met a Variant previously; as well as some new additions. SDCC already confirmed that MODOK, the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, will have a role in the film but we also know that Bill Murray has a big role.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Peyton Reed finally got a chance to hype up his upcoming February release by sharing some details on what his next film has in store for us. In it, he also got the chance to talk about Bill Murray‘s character, who leaked that he’s a “bad guy” all the way back in January of this year. Now, Reed got a chance to confirm he has a “crucial role” in the story and how he connects to the overarching storyline.
Bill Murray plays a character from Janet van Dyne’s. It’s a crucial role. A big theme in this movie is the things that parents and kids don’t say to each other, the secrets that they keep in families. In the last movie, when Hank and Hope rescue Janet, Evangeline Lilly’s character had this idea of: Oh, I’m going to be reunited with my mom, this is going to be great, we’re going to talk about everything. But what happens if the other person, in this case Janet, puts up a wall and maybe is not comfortable talking about certain things and doesn’t reveal certain things about her past? As we know from great stories, you can put the past behind you, but the past will always find a way to show up again. Bill’s character represents that in this movie.
Peyton Reed
It’s definitely going to make for an interesting storyline on how our parents have their own secrets, which also adds the question of how this’ll connect back to Scott and Cassie Lang. The Ant-Man film shave been the more family-focused of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and taking a darker twist on that type of storyline will definitely make this an interesting addition to the franchise.
Cassie Lang has been among the biggest talking points of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania since it was first announced. The 2020 reveal that a third Ant-Man project was in development also brought the news that up-and-coming Freaky star Kathryn Newton would become the third actress to bring the character to life, following Abby Ryder Fortson‘s turn as the child version of Cassie in the first two films and Emma Fuhrmann‘s teenage take in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. This sudden recasting caused some controversy among those who hoped to see Fuhrmann continue in the role, but director Peyton Reed is confident Newton‘s performance will help carry Quantumania to new heights.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker explained Cassie and the relationship she has to her family will be central to the story of the upcoming Ant-Man threequel. The film’s trailer hinted the youngest Lang would be largely responsible for the chaos that ensues throughout, and Reed all but confirms this in his exclusive interview, stating fans will be able to see Cassie in a brand new light:
One of the single most intriguing things that I was excited to do in this movie was progress the Scott-Cassie relationship. It’s been central to all the Ant-Man movies, the big difference here being that, as a result of Endgame, Cassie is now a young woman. She has become a scientific mind in her own right. She’s been going through Hank Pym’s old journals and notebooks, and has really latched on to this idea of quantum science and quantum technology.
Peyton Reed
In the comics, Cassie grows up to become a size-changing superhero much like her father. Initially known as Stature, and later as Stinger, she is known as a founding member of the Young Avengers and an important figure in the Marvel mythos. Newton can be seen wearing a fairly comic-accurate suit in the promotion for Quantumania, indicating the movie might also portray her turn to superhuman status.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters February 17th, 2023.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is set to kick off Marvel Studios Phase 5 when it releases in theaters in February. The third film in the Ant-Man franchise, Quantumania is set to take the Ant-family into the Quantum Realm where they’ll meet the big bad not only of their film but also of the Multiverse Saga: Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror. The first two films in the franchise were smaller in scale, which means Quantumania will take the family into uncharted territory as the film will have “a profound effect on the MCU“, according to returning director Peyton Reed. However, heading into uncharted territory doesn’t mean some familiar faces from the franchise won’t return for the adventure.
A new theater standee shared on Twitter by user @charlestrotter has indicated that in addition to the main cast of Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer and MichaelDouglas returning for the film, one other actor is set to return for his third MCU film.
As can be seen just below Kang’s pinky finger, David Dastmalchian is credited with an appearance in the film. Dastmalchian has played Kurt Goreshter in the previous two Ant-Man films and along with Michael Pena’s Luis and T.I.’s Dave was a frequent source of comedic relief. At last check during the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp, the trio was now successfully running their business venture, X-Con Security Consultants. While Dastmalchian’s return for the third film may seem like it was a slam dunk, the actor did not believe he had a role in the film as recently as March of 2022.
Just how big of a role Kurt will have in the third film remains to be seen but, at the moment, he’s the only one of the “Wombats” who looks to be in the film. Trade reports confirmed that T.I. would not be returning for Quantumaniaand Michael Pena refused to comment on whether or not he’d return. While Pena’s name does not appear on the standee, be cautious in taking that as confirmation that Luis will not be in the film.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is set to hit theaters on February 17th, 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only a few months away, as it introduces us officially to our next major threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kang the Conqueror. Jonathan Majors is taking on the iconic role after a brief introduction of his Variant in Loki, whose death leads to unlocking the many others from across the multiverse that has been kept hidden through the TVA’s ventures. While we don’t know if this is the same version we were teased by the Disney+ series’s final moments, a new article from Empire Magazine reveals how Kang ended up in the Quantum Realm.
As it turns out, he is not there on purpose but is trapped. There are no details offered on what may have ended up leading to him getting stuck in the sub-atomic realm, but it does open up a rather interesting question. Perhaps an Ant-Man from across the multiverse is the cause of it, or his time in the Quantum Realm is what lead to his ability to time travel. The events from Avengers: Endgame could also be at play here, or with multiple Variants out there, a different version of himself may have led to it.
We do see in the trailer that he made this place his home, and has seemingly built up an army. He also hints during the D23 footage that he’s actually killed an Avenger in the past. Perhaps this version of Kang has already defeated all the heroes that opposed him and they may have pushed him into this realm as a last-ditch effort. Whatever he may have planned for Ant-Man could also be a way to help him to find a way out.
Source: Empire
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