Movie Review: “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”

Release Date: Feb. 17, 2023

Runtime: 2h 5min

Directed By: Peyton Reed

Starring:      Paul Rudd

                     Evangeline Lilly

                     Kathryn Newton

                     Jonathan Majors

                     Michael Douglas

                     Michelle Pfeiffer

On Feb. 17, phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuted with the release of Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This film marks the third installment of the Ant Man title and the 31^st MCU film overall.

At this point, Marvel has become such a large franchise, each movie is somehow interconnected to the other, even if it may not seem upon first watch. Due to this, there will inevitably be films which are created for the sole purpose of advancing the greater story. Quantumania is one of those “transitional” films.

This is not to say the third Ant Man was a bad film, quite the opposite. The movie takes place roughly two years after Scott Lang (Rudd) helped the Avengers undo Thanos’ snap in Avengers: End Game. The beginning of the film accounts Lang on a book tour and living comfortably in the spotlight of being an Avenger.

As common for Marvel films, action and adventure are never far away. It is discovered Lang’s daughter Cassie (Newton) is working with Dr. Hank and Hope Pym (Douglas and Lilly) on a device able to contact with the Quantum Realm, the subatomic universe where Janet Van Dyke (Pfeiffer) had been trapped for the past 30 years and was released from in Ant Man and the Wasp.

In an accident similar to 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Lang’s device goes awry and sends the five main characters tumbling into the Quantum Realm, where they spend the remainder of the film’s two-hour runtime trying to escape.

The main purpose of Quantumania, as well as its largest plot point, was the introduction of the Multiverse Saga’s largest villain: Kang the Conqueror. This is why I see the film as more of a “transitional” piece, largely because it sets the stage for future films like Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars (both releasing in 2025), as will forthcoming Marvel projects.

While introduced to Kang in the TV show Loki (going by the name ‘He Who Remains’), the new Ant Man film shows actor Jonathan Majors really sinking his teeth into the role of the MCU’s new Thanos-level villain. While the Loki variant of Kang was reserved and negotiable, Quantomania’s variant is hostile and cruel, bent on conquering any place and anyone who stands in his way. Majors’ performance was a highlight of the film.

Another highlight was Rudd. As in the previous two installments, Rudd portrays the titular character with both excellent humor and seriousness. Newcomer Kathryn Newton, who plays Lang’s daughter, Cassie, also gave a great performance.

Visually, the movie was a fever dream. Given the film being set in an alternate reality with skewed concepts of time and space, it seems fitting the world was filled with wild landscapes and people, including, but not limited to, a man made of broccoli.

All-in-all, Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was an enjoyable experience and launched phase 5 of the MCU in a positive direction. While 2022 ended on a high note with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the summer was a disappointment for the MCU with films like Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor Love and Thunder not resonating with fans like the higher-ups at Marvel might have hoped.

While not as impactful as the second Black Panther, Quantumania is a must-watch if only for the purpose of being informed about the forthcoming MCU narrative. As a film, it is flawed (uneven feel, dialogue issues, etc.), but it proves essential to the story at-large, which, for better or worse, is what Marvel has become.

Out of 10 stars, Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania warrants 6.5.