Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Ant-Man

  • The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to start Phase 5 in February, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to dramatically change course in the midst of the Multiverse Saga. Much like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the official list of what a fan should watch to prepare for the film is not quite as simple as you’d think. Part of this is the mere fact that the MCU now has 30 films, 8 Disney+ series, 2 Disney+ special presentations, and I Am Groot. Still, considering the absolute chaos of the Multiverse, the introduction of the Multiverse Saga’s main villain, a Young Avengers setup, and threequel status make Quantumania a fun one for our latest Ultimate List of Things to Watch Before.

    At the end of the day, 16 projects made this list with varying degrees of relevance. First, the top three tiers are focused on Scott Lang/Ant-Man’s story as well as the Multiverse. After that, it is hard to ignore that Cassie Lang’s role in Quantumania is setting up yet another (likely) future Young Avenger, so the list takes a stroll down memory lane of others we have already seen. As is tradition, the last category really pushes the limit of what makes sense. In any event, somehow every single MCU Disney+ series has made this list, so get started.

    Top Tier

    The top tier, as you would suspect, comprises the most important projects to watch before Quantumania based on what we know about the film.

    1. Ant-Man

    It should go without saying that anyone watching the third film in a solo franchise should start with the original film. In 2015, Ant-Man was the epilogue of Phase 2 and introduced Scott Lang, Hank Pym, and Hope Van Dyne for the first time along with several other key players. From the official Quantumania trailer, we also know that the villain Darren Cross appears to be the face of M.O.D.O.K.

    2. Ant-Man and the Wasp

    While Ant-Man and the Wasp received notoriously mixed reactions, its focus on the Quantum Realm set up so much of the future of the MCU. The film brought the character Janet Van Dyne into reality but also set up the Quantum Realm as a real place to exist—this is where we will find our characters for much of Quantumania. It also highlights Scott’s relationship with his young daughter Cassie, who will be a teenager and seemingly much more important character in the threequel.

    jonathan majors mcu

    3. Loki

    Other than the Ant-Man franchise, the Disney+ series Loki is probably the most important project to watch before Quantumania. The finale introduced us to the first variant of Kang the Conquerer in Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains, though “Kang” is set to make his more formal debut in the third Ant-Man film. He Who Remains provided an extremely important monologue about who he was and what would happen if variants of himself were allowed to live on. Now, we’re going to watch the consequences of Loki begin to play out, presumably all coming to an end in Avengers: Secret Wars. Quantumania may have gotten the Multiverse Saga’s most important character as its solo film antagonist, and we will surely see the actual multiverse truly come into play in the wider MCU after this film. 

    Tier Two

    The second tier of “must watches” before Quantumania is short, but it focuses on the remainder of Scott’s on-screen story as well as the Quantum Realm’s connection to the multiverse.

    4. Avengers: Endgame

    Avengers: Endgame very casually dropped the first hints of the Multiverse and the first major consequences of the Quantum Realm and quantum-related technology. Of course, the film shows another appearance of the character, and it is the first time we saw Cassie as a teenager. The father and daughter’s lost time is clearly central to Quantumania, so their reunion early in this film has major significance. A pro tip for the real fans here is that it is always best to watch Avengers: Infinity War along with Endgame, even though there is virtually no Ant-Man significance.

    5. Captain America: Civil War

    The events of Captain America: Civil War will likely not have much relevance to Quantumania’s story, but in the true MCU spirit of preparing oneself for a solo threequel, all appearances of the character should be watched. 

    Tier Three

    The third tier is (mostly) dedicated to the multiverse. While Quantumania is the first film of the second phase of the Multiverse Saga, Kang’s introduction will likely kick the stakes up a notch.

    6. Ms. Marvel

    True, Disney+ series Ms. Marvel is not related to the Multiverse. But the series (or at least the first minute or two of the first episode) is here because it mentions that Scott has become a relatively famous person and Avenger post-Endgame. The beginning of the Quantumania trailer also alludes to this fact, so this moment in Ms. Marvel is a significant connecting piece.

    what if season 2

    7. What If…?

    The entrance of Kang and the beginning of Phase 5 can only mean that the MCU’s Multiverse is actually going to start coming out to play. Whether or not it’s a major factor in the main portion of Quantumania is yet to be seen, but the fallout of the film probably carries a lot of multiversal weight. The best way to get into the multiverse mindset is to watch the only project actually dedicated to it, even if it’s at the bottom of most people’s Phase Four favorites lists. 

    8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

    How can you talk about the Multiverse without the film that has the word in its title? Several potential Young Avengers are present here (discussed more below), but Multiverse of Madness was the first live-action project to genuinely explore the multiverse to a significant extent. While it did not live up to all fans’ expectations, Quantumania will surely build on what we know from the Doctor Strange sequel.

    9. Spider-Man: No Way Home

    The events of Spider-Man: No Way Home are likely well-removed from the world of Quantumania, but the film is a Multiverse classic, and likely the general population’s favorite of all MCU Multiverse-centered projects to date.

    Introducing the Young Avengers

    An ongoing rumor—or, more likely, prediction—is that the Young Avengers are slowly being assembled throughout several projects. Cassie Lang’s status as a teenage superhero in Quantumania means yet another obvious candidate will be introduced. Notably, Multiverse of Madness (which is already listed above) introduced America Chavez and featured young versions of Wiccan and Speed for the second time in the MCU.

    10. Hawkeye

    Kate Bishop’s inclusion in Disney+ series Hawkeye got plenty of Young Avengers hype. Not only is she a classic Young Avenger in the comics, but the character has received by far the most attention of any of the likely future members.

    11. WandaVision

    Wanda’s children, Billy and Tommy, perhaps sparked the first rumors of a future Young Avengers project. The duo’s powers as Wiccan and Speed were also featured in the Disney+ series WandaVision, making it clear that they likely have a superhero future outside of the show.

    12. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

    Often overlooked, another likely Young Avenger made his debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Elijah Bradley, who becomes the superhero Patriot in the comics, has a couple of brief appearances alongside the focus on Isaiah Bradley, a lost/covered-up supersoldier Bucky encountered during the Korean War.

    Why Not?

    The title of this section says it all. The following projects do have some connection (maybe) to Quantumania in some way, but those connections are extremely distant from anything particularly important. This category is for the true fans.

    moon knight kang

    13. Moon Knight

    While Disney+ series Moon Knight notably omits references to the broader MCU, one of its few Easter eggs is actually Kang-related. In its third episode, the image on the back of one of the generic goons Marc Spector fights is a reference to Kang the Conquerer’s time as the pharaoh Rama-Tut in the comics (and presumably the MCU as well).

    14. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

    One of the worst connections thrown your way yet, the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shows that the Ten Rings have a beacon—and the Quantumania teaser trailer also featured a beacon that clearly led to the Quantum Realm and likely Kang directly. Are all beacons the same? No. But could the Quantum Realm be relevant to mystical items like the Ten Rings or Ms. Marvel’s bangles? Maybe—you should probably watch this just in case.

    15. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

    The final two projects in this list are certainly a reach but a connection can still be made. The final Disney+ series so far, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, teased the criminal organization the Intelligencia. While we do not know if the name is the only thing borrowed from the comics, we do know that M.O.D.O.K., a Quantumania villain, is a member of the supervillain and super-scientist organization in the comics.

    16. Iron Man 3 (AIM)

    Like She-Hulk, Iron Man 3 has a loose connection to Quantumania involving M.O.D.O.K.’s comic book history. M.O.D.O.K. has an extensive history with the criminal organization A.I.M., which was briefly introduced and teased in the final Iron Man film.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17, 2023.

  • Jeff Lovesness Explains Why Kang Poses a Greater Threat than Thanos

    Jeff Lovesness Explains Why Kang Poses a Greater Threat than Thanos

    Following in the footsteps of the last Avengers film, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, can’t be an easy task; however, it’s one that Rick and Morty and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania scribe Jeff Loveness seems to have embraced. Loveness’ task on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was simple: find a way to have Kang out-Thanos Thanos. Kang, who will be introduced in his full glory in Quantumania, poses a very different kind of threat than Thanos and one that Loveness believes audiences might find a bit more terrifying because as he explained in SFX Magazine, Kang is just one of us.

    To me, it’s all about the humanity. Obviously, Thanos is a great, iconic villain, but he’s also a big purple CGI guy. He’s an alien from outer space. The thing I really wanted to lean into is that Kang is a human being. Kang’s also a very lonely character. We’re going to be seeing a lot of him in a lot of different ways going forward, but I really wanted to introduce the humanity and even the vulnerability of this character before he gets to such apocalyptic, Avengers-scale heights.

    Jeff Lovenss

    If Quantumania is then about introducing the very human and vulnerable Kang, The Kang Dynasty would seem to be the place to unleash Kang. Loveness indicated that’s exactly what will happen and it might be more than Earth’s Mightiest Heroes can handle.

    Kang is a top-tier, A-list Avengers villain. What do you do when you feel you’re not enough against that? How do you step up to face the challenge of this generation, who is Thanos on an exponential level? He’s almost this infinite Thanos. I think we’re setting things up for a pretty dynamic story.

    Jeff Loveness

    Phase 4, which consisted of 14 live-action projects, recently concluded with the emotional Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Many of those projects introduced new heroes who are likely to be among those assembled to take on Kang. According to Loveness, when that tie comes, Marvel Studios will be ready to “put the pedal to the gas again.”

    As I’m building to Avengers I want it to feel like a generational struggle. Phase 4 felt like the birth of new characters. You’re giving everyone a little bit of a breath, you’re broadening out the universe, you have fun Disney Plus shows that are elevating characters. And now I think it’s time to put the pedal to the gas again, and really take all these new characters that we like and throw them into the fire.

    Jeff Loveness

    You had us at infinite Thanos. Fans will catch their first glimpse of just how dangerous Kang is when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17th before watching him take over time in 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

    Source: SFX Magazine via Games Radar

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Lovenes Shares Unusual Source of Inspiration for MODOK

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Lovenes Shares Unusual Source of Inspiration for MODOK

    Having worked as a writer on Rick and Morty for two seasons, Jeff Loveness is no stranger to alien landscapes, strange creatures and pulling from off-the-wall references. In that regard, Loveness must have felt right at home while scribing Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which takes the heroes to the Quantum Realm and introduces them to an array of peculiar creatures. Though the Ant-Family finds themselves in another dimension, it’s a creature with ties to their own that has caught the eye of audiences in the latest trailer and who will pose problems for the protagonists for MODOK’s time has come.

    As seen in the new trailer, MODOK is played by Corey Stoll, whose Darren Cross was gruesomely dispatched into the Quantum Realm in the final act of 2015’s Ant-Man. The character, who has a fairly comic-accurate design, plays a major role in Quantumania and according to Loveness, is also responsible for his “favorite moments” in the film.

    MODOK is maybe my single favorite thing that I got in the movie. Obviously, we are very faithful to the comics with the design and the look, but then there is a little bit of extra we put into him. Maybe I’ll get fired off The Kang Dynasty when people see it, but some of my favorite moments come from MODOK and the dynamics there.

    Jeff Loveness

    While MODOK’s look is comic-inspired, Loveness had to come up with a brand new take on the character given his new origins. In doing so, he took inspiration from a late 80s off-beat, cult classic comedy, A Fish Called Wanda.

    I’ll just say he was inspired by Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda and Frank Grimes in an old Simpsons episode – this really put-upon, selfish, entitled but then also deeply sad, insecure man who knows that he got a shit deal in life and is trying to make the best of it. His ego will crumble the second he’s challenged but then also like Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda, he’s pretty good at killing people.

    Jeff Loveness

    A Fish Called Wanda is a wacky heist film with a number of betrayals and double-crosses, many of which include Kline’s Otto, a role for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Like its successors, Quantumania appears to be a heist film, so should the script of Quantumania have taken a bit of inspiration from A Fish Called Wanda, fans will have their share of twists and turns to track, which is part of the fun of heist films.

    Loveness explains that MODOK is “a real loose cannon character and I had a great amount of fun with him,” while adding that he played a key role in finding the tone for the threequel. “We cracked MODOK as a character“, said Loveness, “and the movie just became so fun.” Fans don’t have long to find out just how much fun Quantumania is as it is set to hit theaters on February 17th.

    Source: SFX Magazine via Games Radar

  • Early ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Box Office Projections Eyeing Trilogy’s Best

    Early ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Box Office Projections Eyeing Trilogy’s Best

    It’s become more and more difficult to truly project just how much money a film will make at the box office. Most of the 2020 holdovers were the only ones to beat early projects going into last year with Top Gun: Maverick and Minions: Rise of Gru. Still, Marvel films remained reliable box office performers even as they hit a sophomore slump, not too surprising with a franchise event like Avengers: Endgame that would normally wrap up any other franchise.

    Still, there are some early projects coming in on how their first Phase 5 entry may perform at the box office. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only a few more weeks away for hitting theaters and early projects seem to have the film potentially earning between $96M to $131M in its opening weekend. with their usual performance of a strong drop in its second weekend, there’s a chance the film could end between $249M to $347M in its domestic run.

    With good word-of-mouth, the film may become the first $100M+ opener for the year and that’s in a strong February market. The film has the advantage of no real competition until Shazam: Fury of the Gods in March though Creed 3 has the potential to take the top spot in the domestic market. There’s also the Dungeons & Dragons film hitting theaters in late March.

    It should be noted for those ready to call this a potential bust for Marvel Studios, the film would still have the biggest domestic gross for any part of the Ant-Man franchise if it hits the lower end of the projections. Ant-Man managed to pull in $180M while its sequel had a slight boost to $216M. Plus, the last entry was five years ago and the main antagonist of the current Multiverse Saga might make it a “don’t miss” for fans that will check out the film early on.

    Also, its opening may double the initial opening weekend at the domestic box office, which was around $57M. It’s sequel opened to $75M, which makes this the potential biggest opener for the franchise. It’ll also have the biggest budget for an Ant-Man entry, which means the expectations are higher. The February release also opens up some questions on how it’ll perform but Marvel could still prove to be a reliable performer at the box office going into its fifth phase.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • Legacy Lunacy: Exploring Marvel Studios Past, Present and Future Choices when Passing the Torch

    Legacy Lunacy: Exploring Marvel Studios Past, Present and Future Choices when Passing the Torch

    As the grand experiment that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe shifted from the Infinity Saga to the Multiverse Saga, familiar faces that audiences had grown to love stepped away and heroes, both old and new, stepped up to take their places. Sam Wilson picked up the shield and became Captain America; Kate Bishop met her hero and now shares the mantle of Hawkeye with Clint Barton; Jen Walters became a better Hulk; and Yelena Belova picked up the torch in memory of her fallen sister.

    These new characters seek to continue the legacy of the characters with whom they share a moniker though they don’t always look to keep the course that was set by their predecessors. Most of these heroes look to do better–be better–than the imperfect heroes they followed into the role. Their relationships with the original heroes gave them perspective, allowing them to learn and grow from their successes and failures and ultimately choose their own direction. That’s the beauty of a well-done legacy arc, but what happens when the studio chooses to circumvent the process? Marvel Studios has made two such decisions and had decidedly mixed results. With another project on the horizon in which they may face a similar choice, reflecting on what worked well and what could (maybe should) have gone better might help the Parliament choose a bit more wisely when the time comes to choose the lead for their upcoming Nova project.

    Ant-Man

    After nearly a decade in development, Marvel Studios released Ant-Man in 2015 as the capstone to Phase 2 of the Infinity Saga. Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish began developing the script in 2006 and Wright was scheduled to direct. When Wright left the project due to creative differences just ahead of filming in 2014, Peyton Reed came on board and along with Adam McKay rewrote bits of the script. According to Reed, the “spine” of Ant-Man was still based on Wright’s work which was an adaptation of Marvel Premiere #47’s “To Steal an Ant-Man” story. Published in 1979, “To Steal an Ant-Man” saw Scott Lang steal the Ant-Man suit from original Ant-Man and founding Avenger Hank Pym just like what happened in the movie, sort of.

    Though Hank Pym was introduced in Wright’s script and Reed’s film, its protagonist is Scott Lang. Pym certainly has a history as the Ant-Man in the MCU, but it’s one only glimpsed in a few brief flashbacks and outside of inventing Pym Particles the character arguably only exists in name only. The same can be said for his wife, Janet, who was not only a founding member of the comic book Avengers like Hank but also a team leader at one point. Though her role grew in importance in Ant-Man and The Wasp and her time in the Quantum Realm will play a major role in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Janet, like Hank, is Janet in name only.

    Wright’s development on the film began in 2006, a full year before Marvel Studios hired Zak Penn to write the script for The Avengers. In 2010, Joss Whedon signed on to direct and rewrote many iterations of the script, including one that included The Wasp as a key member of the team before removing her in favor of Black Widow. It’s unclear exactly how the slow development of Wright’s film may or may not have impacted the script of The Avengers, but what is clear is that Ant-Man didn’t release until 2015, and by that time a second Avengers film, Age of Ultron, had been released as well. So what did the decision to focus on comic book legacy character Scott Lang as the MCU’s Ant-Man ultimately cost Hank Pym?

    Skipping over Hank and Janet in favor of Scott and Hope cost the MCU’s adaptation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes two of its founding members. Additionally, the fact that the long-gestating Ant-Man wasn’t released before Avengers: Age of Ultron meant that Whedon had to replace Pym as the creator of Ultron, the villainous AI created by Hank Pym in the comics. Hank and Janet still got to exist, albeit not in their prime, but the opportunity exists for the adventures of their younger days to be told should Marvel Studios choose.

    Despite all that, Marvel Studios seemingly struck gold with the decision to focus on a legacy character rather than the original. The casting of Paul Rudd as Lang certainly played a large role in that and the large role Lang was able to play because of Rudd’s overwhelming likability has made the character an MCU fixture. Though Marvel skipped over telling the stories of Hank and Pym, the character of Ant-Man has become so integral that the third film in the franchise features the main villain of the Multiverse Saga.

    Captain Marvel

    In 2013, Marvel Studios began developing a Captain Marvel project and a year later, revealed it would become the studio’s first female-led film. The script, which initially took inspiration from Roy Thomas‘ classic Kree-Skrull War comics, passed through multiple writers before Geneva Robertson-Dworet, along with co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck finalized it. By that time, the Kree-Skrull War had gone from inspiration to the “backdrop and mythological underpinning” of the film, according to producer Jonathan Schwartz, and Kelly Sue DeConnick‘s 2012 Captain Marvel run became a major source of inspiration for the film.

    In 2019, Marvel Studios skipped over five (sorry Skrull imposter, you don’t count) Captains Marvel to introduce Carol Danvers as the hero in Captain Marvel. The first of those Captains was Marvel’s first true Cosmic hero, the Kree warrior Mar-Vell who, over the years, developed a relationship with Carol. In 2012, DeConnick explained that her series would find Carol contemplating the legend of Captain Marvel and what it meant to her before choosing to take the name Captain Marvel in honor of the hero. Between Mar-Vell and Carol, Monica Rambeau, Mar-Vell’s children, Genis and Phyla and Noh-Varr all went by the name Captain Marvel. A character named Mar-Vell, who shared no similarities with the comic book hero, played by Annette Bening, appeared in Captain Marvel and briefly interacted with Carol Danvers.

    Captain Marvel majorly overhauled the origin story of Carol Danvers but ultimately the character came outof the oven as a pretty good copy of her comic book counterpart. However, in the rush to establish Carol Danvers as a major player in the MCU, Marvel Studios completely ignored the vaunted history of Mar-Vell and in doing so may have set themselves up for a cascade of alterations to other characters and stories in the future. While there are plenty of strange concepts that are part of Mar-Vell’s comic book history that would be better served being left in the books, the character was inarguably one of Marvel’s greatest Cosmic heroes. At one time, Mar-Vell served Eon as the Protector of the Universe and his ongoing participation in the Kree-Skrull War, which was greatly diminished for the MCU, had consequences that extended beyond his death. So what did the decision to focus on comic book legacy character Carol Danvers as the MCU’s Captain Marvel ultimately cost Mar-Vell and the other Captains Marvel?

    At the moment, it would seem the greatest cost to Mar-Vell would ironically be legacy. Mar-Vell died years ago in the comics, but his legend has lived on and his legacy carried by his children. Without greatly retconning Bening’s Mar-Vell, it’s hard to imagine that Dorek-Vell/Hulking/Teddy Altman, Phyla-Vell/Quasar and Genis-Vell will be her children. While they’re all incredibly important characters, Teddy’s hidden heritage as the son of the great Kree hero Mar-Vell and Princess Anelle of the Skrull Empire is one of the great twists in Marvel Comics’ history and a major part of the character’s ongoing arc. Teddy, under the name Dorrek-Vell, now rules over the combined Kree-Skrull Empires after having put an end to eons of war. With the Young Avengers just around the corner in the MCU, it would seem this entire fascinating arc couldn’t be done without undoing quite a bit first.

    Carol Danvers is a major player in the pages of Marvel Comics and absolutely deserves to be one in the MCU. Marvel Studios landed a huge star in Brie Larson for the role and it’s expected that she’ll be at the forefront of the action as the Multiverse Saga continues to unfold beginning in The Marvels. That film features Monica Rambeau, who was the second Captain Marvel in the comics, and Kamala Khan who was a legacy character to a legacy character in the comics, taking the name Ms. Marvel to honor her idol Carol. The rush to get Carol in the MCU spotlight also greatly changed the Kamala and Carol dynamic (Carol has never been Ms. Marvel in the MCU) and Kamala’s status as Carol’s biggest fan feels forced given there’s really no reason anyone on Earth would know much about Carol much less everything. To date, other than flying through a ship, Carol’s Captain Marvel has not taken her rightful place as a top tier MCU character, calling into question if the overall ongoing narrative may have been better served by introducing Mar-Vell, focusing more on the Kree-Skrull War and allowing Carol to come into her own over the course of a few years, much in the way they have finally worked Peter Parker into a place where he can be a more comic accurate Spider-Man.

    A Man Called Nova…But Which Man?

    Though every industry insider has different insight into how the character will enter the MCU, Nova is entering the MCU sometime in the near-ish future. Sabir Pirzada, who worked on Moon Knight, began work on a Nova project early in 2022 and at one point insider KC Walsh shared that production on that project was set for 2023. Whether production on the movie/series/special presentation starts in 2023 or 2024 or not, Marvel Studios has already made a decision that will greatly alter how the project is perceived…we just don’t know what they chose.

    With Mar-Vell out of the spotlight, Richard Rider became Marvel Comics greatest Cosmic hero over an amazing multi-year run beginning in 2007. Rider grew from a teen who randomly found himself the recipient of a Nova Corps helmet that gave him incredible powers and bopped around with the New Warriors into a man whose body contained the entirety of the Nova Force, rebuilt the Nova Corps following the destruction of Xandar, led the defeats of Annihilus and Ultron and ultimately sacrificed himself to save the entire galaxy. Rider is a fascinatingly complex character who has developed tremendously over the years and could easily be the face of MCU’s Cosmic corner for a decade.

    Introduced in 2011, Sam Alexander is a legacy character in more ways than one. The son of a secret black ops arm of the Nova Corps, Sam became the second Marvel Comics character to go by the title of Nova. Sam grew up with no notion that his missing father was a Nova but with the help of Rocket and Gamora discovered his father’s helmet and begin learning how to master its incredible powers. Sam quickly found himself in some incredible situations, saved the entire Nova Corps and joined the group of young heroes called the Champions. Alexander is still portrayed as arrogant and immature, is essentially about where Rider was as a character during his days as a New Warrior and at this point would seem to fit the MCU better as part of a team of young heroes.

    Though it hasn’t been revealed to the public, Marvel Studios has already determined which of these heroes will be introduced to the audience as Nova. Whether Rider or Alexandar is the star of Pirzada’s script, the writer would have some cleaning up to do thanks to James Gunn. Gunn introduced the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, though they were reduced to mall cops with shiny helmets who held onto the Power Stone until Marvel Studios figure out what they wanted to do with it. There was no mention of the Worldmind of the Nova Force in the movie, two integral components of the Corps in the comics, and they have never been seen nor referenced again. It’s possible Pirzada‘s job was made somewhat easier when the writers of Avengers: Infinity War allowed Thanos to retrieve the Power Stone from them off screen. In a rare case of Marvel writers lobbing a softball to their successor, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have given Pirzada the chance to start from scratch to some extent. Xandar has been decimated more than once in the comics, including by the Annihilation Wave, and been rebuilt from the ashes into something new, an idea that may be central to Pirzada’s Nova project.

    If part of the Nova project’s plot focuses on rebuilding Xandar, that’s certainly a job for a more mature, veteran Nova, much like Richard Rider was when he took on the task in the comics. However, Richard Rider hasn’t existed in the MCU just yet, much less become a hardened Nova vet. Then, of course, there’s the issue of addressing the powers given to members of the Nova Corps by the Nova Force, which also doesn’t exist in the MCU. Rider first got his powers when a dying Rhomann Dey (played in the MCU by John C. Reilly) handed off his helmet following the destruction of Xandar. As stated previously, Alexander first got his powers after finding his father’s helmet. While the Dey-Rider handoff could happen, there would have to be some retconning done to explain any powers that come with the helmet. Fortunately, the Nova Corps had possession of the Power Stone for quite some time and any number of experiments could have been done to power up the Corps. Of course, if that had been the case, one would think they’d have done a little better job of stopping Thanos, but Pirzada can only work with what he’s handed. Alexander’s story is a little more difficult to retcon. Even if the Nova project were set in 2026 and his father, Jesse, was a victim of the Snap, Alexander would have to have been born between 2008-2011 or so to be old enough to be a high schooler. As far as MCU lore is concerned, there were no powered Nova’s then, much less a super-powered black ops team. Gunn has left quite a mess to be sorted out.

    Major mess aside, the choice Marvel has already made but not shared in terms of which character MCU audiences will come to know as Nova most likely came down to how they plan to use the character. If they want a great Cosmic hero, the choice should be Rider; if they want a teen to team up with other teens, the choice should still be Rider, who was introduced as a teen in 1976, but would probably be Alexander. In skipping over Rider and going straight to Alexander, Marvel Studios runs the risk of not only angering comic book fans (even though it’s only 2% of MCU audiences, including me) but also finding the character written into more corners in the future as they have with Hank, Janet and Mar-Vell. Alternatively, they could follow what’s been a much more successful approach to legacy characters by establishing Rider, allowing him to become a great Cosmic hero, shift to him mentoring Alexander and then having Alexander assume the mantle later.

    Truthfully, there’s no logical reason for Marvel to have chosen Alexander over Rider, though the lack of logic won’t have prevented them from doing so. Alexander’s Nova hasn’t sold more comics or been more popular and most MCU fans probably don’t have any idea who either of these characters are, much less favor one over the other. Rider’s story as the champion of Xandar and then the galaxy has already been written and would be incredibly easy to adapt to the MCU. Establishing him as a core hero for a few years and then pairing him with Alexander would ultimately make for two strong characters rather than one as their bond would deepen and enrich both of their MCU narratives. Should Marvel Studios chose to follow the example from the comics and have Rider sacrifice himself to save the galaxy, audiences would be heartbroken and Alexander would find himself in an emotional space ripe for telling compelling stories. Such a choice would allow the legacy character to become a legacy character and allow the legacy character to earn the legacy right in front of the audiences’ eyes. If it’s good enough for Hawkeye, it’s good enough for Nova!

    As we all wait to find out together which route Marvel Studios has chosen for Nova, which route would you prefer? We would love to hear your thoughts!

  • ‘Quantumania’ Producer Teases an “Epic Sci-Fi War” in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    ‘Quantumania’ Producer Teases an “Epic Sci-Fi War” in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    Ant-Man is about to wrap up its trilogy in style with the arrival of Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film will seemingly move away from the more light-hearted direction the franchise took to include some of its darkest moments, especially going by its trailers.

    IIn a new press release for the film, Stephen Broussard, who is the Marvel Studios Vice-President of Production and Development, teased that the film is going to be an “epic sci-fi war movie,” further showcasing that this isn’t going to be your usual Ant-Man adventure. Though, he still calls it “a family adventure first and foremost” but all that changes once they enter the Quantum Realm.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is many things. It’s a family adventure first and foremost. It’s the story of a family of Super Heroes basically being pulled into an adventure within the Quantum Realm, and within that, 3 it becomes an epic sci-fi war movie and a coming-of-age story. It’s a lot of different things wrapped into one film.

    Stephen Broussard

    It’s definitely an exciting prospect to not only see the franchise jump fully into the science-fiction aspects we were teased throughout the Infinity Saga. The Quantum Realm was an important milestone for the Avengers to find a way to reverse what Thanos has done to the world. Now, it seems whatever they did will catch up with the Ant-family.

    Source: The Direct

  • Five Things ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Needs to Get Right

    Five Things ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Needs to Get Right

    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’

    avengers 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

    antman 3 reshoots

    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.

  • Paul Rudd Spotted Filming Some Additional Reshoots for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    Paul Rudd Spotted Filming Some Additional Reshoots for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    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.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • REPORT: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Will Be The Longest ‘Ant-Man’ Film

    REPORT: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Will Be The Longest ‘Ant-Man’ Film

    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.

    Source: Fandango

  • New ‘Quantumania’ Promo Art Offers Closer Look at Ant-Man, Wasp, and Cassie’s Suit

    New ‘Quantumania’ Promo Art Offers Closer Look at Ant-Man, Wasp, and Cassie’s Suit

    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.

    There’s also a creative use of the Pym Technologies logo, which has somehow generally become a representative of the various Ant-Man characters.

    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.

    Source: Twitter