If you’re a Marvel fan like me, you have been counting down the days until the premiere of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The newest installment in the Ant-Man franchise was released in theaters on February 17. Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang in this thrilling and visually appealing adventure into the quantum realm. If you have not made it to the theaters yet, look out, there’s spoilers ahead.
Marvel does many things very well, but one thing they are known for is taking suggestions from fans. The first Marvel movies are known for being dark and gray. This was mostly the case until Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok. Ever since these premiered, it is clear that making each movie more action packed, comical and colorful than the last is a top priority, and this newest addition does not disappoint.
When Janet van Dyne returns from the quantum realm after thirty years, everyone has some questions. Cassie Lang, activist and now quantum physicist, takes it upon herself to send signals to the quantum realm. Unfortunately, her machine malfunctions, and everyone gets sucked into the quantum realm. The quantum realm is fascinating, with a myriad of new creatures and beings. After the CGI disaster, She Hulk, Marvel has really stepped up their game in special effects.
As you may be able to tell, I don’t think the plot was the star of the movie (unless you count Paul Rudd as the plot). It starts out slow; there is a lot of searching and getting captured. Although, the last third of the movie is action packed and kept me on the edge of my AMC reclining lounge chair. The main villain, Kang the Conqueror, is similar to Thanos in that he is trying to “save the universe,” or in this case the multiverse. Unsurprisingly, he does more harm than good. My favorite part of the movie was the return of Darren Cross as MODOK, Kang’s killing machine. As soon as I saw him, I was reminded of Mr. Electric from the childhood classic Sharkboy and Lavagirl. At the end of the movie, it almost seemed like the battle was going to be lost, but in classic Marvel fashion, our trusty heroes saved the day.
If you’re a true Marvel fan, you will know to stick around after the credits roll. To understand these end credit scenes, it’s helpful to have watched Loki. The first one consists of a meeting between all the Kang variants. The main subject is a small group of said variants discussing the death of the Kang we saw in the movie. The one killed by our beloved heroes is understood to be the most powerful and feared variant.The scene sets up the future for the MCU and the rest of the multiverse saga. Die-hard fans who stayed until the second post credit scene saw the return of Loki and Mobius. They listened to a speech by a Kang variant talking about how time can be reshaped. Loki advises Mobius that Kang is a fearful villain.Marvel’s omission of certain details always creates suspense.
Going into the movie as a casual fan, your mind might not be blown, but if you have a good amount about Marvel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a must-see. We are introduced to important characters such as Cassie and Kang, who will no doubt be impactful in the future. The plot of the movie was not outstanding, but it was entertaining, with that classic Marvel humor. I think the film relied heavily on the characters, and did a great job making you care about them, except Janet. I don’t know if you were supposed to dislike Janet, but I hated her. Darren Cross made up for this contempt. All in all, definitely check out Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sooner rather than later.
