‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is a Strong Start to the MCU's Phase Five
Director Peyton Reed delivers an action-packed adventure, while Jonathan Majors steals the show with his groundbreaking performance as Kang the Conqueror.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
Opening in theaters on February 17th is the first film of Marvel’s Phase 5, the long-awaited third movie in the ‘Ant-Man’ franchise entitled ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ which is once again directed by Peyton Reed.
What is the Plot of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?'
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with Hope's parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Lang's daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), go on a new adventure exploring the Quantum Realm that pushes their limits and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Who is in the Cast of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?’
The film stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, Bill Murray as Krylar, and Randall Park as Jimmy Woo.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Initial Thoughts
The result is the most action-packed ‘Ant-Man’ film so far, which feels like a real event movie, and features an incredible performance from Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who may end up being the greatest MCU villain of all time!
Direction, Tone and How the Movie Fits into the MCU?
For a longtime, the ‘Ant-Man’ movies have been the forgotten child of the MCU. They’ve delivered strong comedy/heist movies, that with the exception of a Falcon (Anthony Mackie) cameo and the end credit scene from ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp,’ have had very little overall impact on the larger MCU. That all changes with this sequel which is still funny, but much darker in tone and action-packed than previous films in the series.
It’s more of a direct sequel to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ than the last ‘Ant-Man’ movie, and carries significant ramifications for the MCU, laying the groundwork for Phase 5 and beyond. Director Peyton Reed has always done an adequate job helming this series but ups his game with ‘Quantumania,’ and carries the massive action sequences and darker tone of the film well.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
What Should I watch Before ‘Quantumania?’
While you do not need to see every pervious MCU movie and TV series to enjoy ‘Quantumania,’ it will help your understanding of the plot and characters if you’ve at least seen the previous two ‘Ant-Man’ films, ‘Ant-Man’ and ‘Ant- Man and the Wasp,’ as well as “Avengers: Endgame’ and especially season 1 on Disney+’s ‘Loki.’ Also watching ‘Captain America: Civil War’ couldn’t hurt, as it is referenced, but not absolutely necessary to watch first.
Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
How Are Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly at Reprising Their Title Roles?
Paul Rudd continues to play Scott Lang with fun and humor, which is challenged by the darker tone of the movie. Rudd navigates those dark tones well and while he brings a lot of the humor to the film, is also quite good in his emotional and action-packed scenes.
Evangeline Lilly, who has played Hope Van Dyne since the first ‘Ant-Man,’ was finally given more to do in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp’ and has about as large a role here. She’s pivotal to the action sequences and the family drama between her parents, Hank and Janet, but other than that is unfortunately not given a lot to do. Other than being of support to Scott and Cassie, Lilly’s best scenes are with Michelle Pfeiffer, exploring the secrets and betrayal that Janet is hiding.
MIchelle Pfieffer as Janet van Dyne in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
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‘Quantumania’ is Really Janet Van Dyne’s Story
It’s easy to forget that in the pages of Marvel Comics, Janet Van Dyne was a founding member of the Avengers, so it was nice to see the character given such a pivotal role in ‘Quantumania.’ This is really Janet’s story in many ways, and Pfeiffer excels in the role. She is excellent in her dramatic scenes with Lilly and Michael Douglas, as well as a humorous scene with Bill Murray, and her action sequences with Majors.
In fact, Janet’s history in the Quantum Realm and with Kang in particular, is the heart of the movie and Pfeiffer’s performance is a major part of the film’s success. Reprising his role as the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, Michael Douglass once again gives a strong supporting role, and I liked that Hank is acting as a surrogate Grandfather to Cassie. Some of the actor’s best scenes involve his reaction to discovering his wife’s secrets, but the character is definitely given his most heroic moment in the entire series towards the end of this film.
(L to R) Kathryn Newton as Cassandra "Cassie" Lang and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
Why Was Cassie Lang Recast?
With the five-year time jump that occurs between ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ it only makes sense that an older version of Scott’s daughter Cassandra Lang would be needed for the third installment. Enter actress Kathryn Newton (‘Freaky’), who takes over the role from Abby Ryder Fortson in the previous two movies. Newton brings a mature Cassie to the MCU, one who witnessed her father’s battle with Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll) as a small child and then lived through her father’s five-year absence and has been changed by the experiences.
I will not reveal whether Cassie becomes her comic book alter ego Stature in this movie, but I will say the character does get in on the action and has some great sequences fighting alongside the rest of the ‘Ant-Man’ family. The character is clearly being set up for a larger role in the future of the MCU, possibly ‘Young Avengers,’ and I look forward to seeing Newton reprise her role in the future.
Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
How Was Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror?
But, while the story might belong to Janet, the movie belongs to Jonathan Majors and his absolutely tremendous performance as Kang the Conqueror. The film wisely briefly introduces the character in the opening sequence, but then keeps him off screen until a dramatic moment in the middle of the film.
Majors first portrayed a version of Kang, his variant "He Who Remains," in the season one finale of ‘Loki,’ and while the two characters are connected, this is an entirely different performance. Majors gives a smart and terrifying performance, and lays the groundwork for what could become the best villain the MCU has seen since Thanos (Josh Brolin).
M.O.D.O.K. and the Movie’s Other Antagonists
Bill Murray appears in the film as Krylar, an alley of Kang’s, and is funny in his scenes but is just too, well, Bill Murray! The actor portrays the character with his own comedic persona, and at times it doesn’t feel like it connects with the tone of the rest of the movie, and can take you out of the moment.
Marvel comic book fans will be happy to know that the popular villain M.O.D.O.K. makes his live-action debut in ‘Quantumania,’ but the character has changed a lot from the comics. I won’t give away too much, but the character is now closer connected to the ‘Ant-Man’ movie franchise, and the changes made sense for the series. However, some hardcore fans may think this is another Marvel “bait and switch” like Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) being revealed as the fake Mandarin in ‘Iron Man 3.’
But I do have to say that I thought the effects for M.O.D.O.K. overall didn’t work. The character is basically a giant robotic head, with tiny arms and legs and a really big face. In live-action, I didn’t think the realistic giant face worked, and might have been better if the character was completely CGI. But overall, the special effects in the film mostly work, especially the rich and imaginative world of the Quantum Realm that Reed and his team has created.
(L to R) Michael Douglas/Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, and Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.
Are There Any End-Credit Scenes?
Yes, there are, two in fact, a mid-credit scene, followed by an end-credit scene. While I won’t give either away, I think it is safe to say they are both Kang-centric. The first basically reinforces the threat that the character represents for the future of the MCU, and the second gives us a hint at where we might see him next, while also revealing a few of the film’s surprising cameos.
Final Verdict
In the end, after a rather bumpy Phase 4, the MCU’s Phase 5 gets off to a fantastic start with ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.’ Peyton Reed sets a darker tone for the franchise, with great action sequences and strong performances from the entire cast especially Rudd, Pfeiffer and Newton. But its Jonathan Majors unbelievable debut as the real Kang the Conqueror that makes this movie a must-see for Marvel fans and a welcomed addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' © 2022 Marvel.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania:’
- ‘Ant-Man' (2015)
- ‘Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
- 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' (2018)
- ‘Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
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Witten by Jeff Loveness and directed by Peyton Reed, the sci-fi, action, adventure, comedy, mystery, thriller 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures on February 17th 2023.
